


The Southern Kingdom

by SlayerFromAnotherDimension



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alpha Bokuto Koutarou, Alpha Daishou Suguru, Alpha Iwaizumi Hajime, Alpha Kageyama Tobio, Alpha Kuroo Tetsurou, Alpha Sawamura Daichi, Alpha Ushijima Wakatoshi, Alpha/Omega, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Arranged Marriage, Dubious Sex, Fight Scenes, Iwaoi is not endgame sorry, Kageyama and Oikawa are siblings, Kinda medievel, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Omega Akaashi Keiji, Omega Oikawa Tooru, Omega Sugawara Koushi, Original Characters - Freeform, Outdoor Sex, Rough Sex, Sexual Content, explicit violence, mention of MPREG, no betas, violence against animals
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-30
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:07:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 42,406
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23395990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SlayerFromAnotherDimension/pseuds/SlayerFromAnotherDimension
Summary: 'It was a strange day when his father told him that he was to be married off to a savage.There was no warning, not that he’d pick up on. No subtleties or expectations that Tooru could have thought back on. Nothing. All he had was one conversation. 'Oikawa Tooru is forced to marry the Southern King - Ushijima Wakatoshi.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou, Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru, Mention of Kageyama Tobio/Hinata Shouyou, Oikawa Tooru & Kageyama Tobio, Oikawa Tooru/Ushijima Wakatoshi, Sawamura Daichi/Sugawara Koushi
Comments: 135
Kudos: 454





	1. Savage

It was a strange day when his father told him that he was to be married off to a savage. 

There was no warning, not that he’d pick up on. No subtleties or expectations that Tooru could have thought back on. Nothing. All he had was one conversation. 

The rain, mimicking his mood, poured down heavily along the slope of the wall beside him. It splashed down alongside him, the ever-growing puddle moving as droplets hit it hard. He thought to what it would be like in a tent, his new home within four weeks. What would it be like to listen to the rain slap against the thin material or the wind howl through it? It wasn’t a life he was raised for nor born into and so he had no idea what it would be like. However, he knew it wouldn’t be like this. Nothing could ever be like this. Someone’s bare feet pattered on the cobbled ground outside, the sound obviously trying to gain his attention. It was only when he heard the little call of his name that he bothered to look up. It was Hajime. The man ahead of him didn’t speak, just watched Tooru from a distance, still in the rain. Before Tooru could tell him to leave, Hajime walked towards him, closer than he should be as a servant. Closer than he should be as an unmarried, unmated Alpha. They didn’t speak, just watched each other for a fraction of a minute, or perhaps longer. 

Once Hajime became Captain of the Guard, he was allowed to speak to Tooru more without suspicions. However, despite the fact that they had never gotten closer than a few stolen touches and kisses, his mother still forbade him from speaking to Hajime alone. That didn’t stop them but it also did not stop the rumours that surrounded them. 

“Someone told me the news.” Hajime finally spoke, his voice echoed against the emptiness of the area they were in. The area they shouldn’t be in. Not alone. Not together. A horse in the stable beside Hajime shuffled and grunted, as if it was irritated by the company. “Are you okay?” 

Tooru didn’t need to answer. He took a small step back, enough of a gap for both of them to remind themselves that they shouldn’t be here. Not like this. 

“Look-” Before he could say anything, Tooru turned his head. Finally, he squeezed his eyes and let the teardrops fall. It was as if the rain was not enough for him, he needed the comfort of someone else also. The comfort of someone who cannot touch him, hug him, scent him. The bell rang in the distance, signaling that it was midnight. Late. The distance of the sound reminded Tooru of how far he had run off, how far Hajime had to look for him. It was now that he properly looked up to examine the Alpha in front of him, wearing nothing but cotton shirt and trousers and standing in the rain – staring at him. Asking if he was okay. He was being selfish. 

“I’m okay.” Tooru hurried to speak before Hajime got even more worried. The particular crease in the Alpha’s forehead didn’t ease up but Tooru chose to ignore it. “I should get back.” _Not we._

Hajime nodded as if Tooru needed his permission and the Omega finally turned his whole body around to walk away from the other man. It seemed as if he was already saying goodbye. The walk back was as long as the journey there, making him regret that he did not bring an extra layer to wear. Or at least some proper footwear. Once he saw the looming figure of the palace once more, something he’d never been able to escape, Tooru knew he was ‘home’. 

Many of the staff refused to look at him as he walked past, not wanting to be punished for something they couldn’t help. It would be strange to not be surrounded by working staff after he’s carted off into savage lands. Would he be alongside the servants? Would he eat with them? There was murmuring behind him but it made Tooru speed up rather than stop and listen. If the servants were brave enough to speak, there must have been something important to say. His room was one corner away to the left and he made it there without too much hurry, ignoring the guard who opened his door. Inside, there was his mother – not too much of a surprise – and his younger brother. 

“Go away, Tobio.” Tooru growled. The younger Oikawa stared at him for a moment before he looked at their mother, who seemingly nodded. Once the Alpha had scampered off, Tooru was left to stare awkwardly at his mother. 

“You shouldn’t speak to him like that. He thinks the world of you.” His mother started her usual rant about family values. If Family was so important, why was it so easy to get rid of him? Instead of giving his usual response, Tooru sat down at the table, reaching for the jar of wine that was in the middle. “Tooru, do not be like this. You knew what your role has been since you were young.” 

“I at least thought I’d have a comfortable bed when I get mounted. Not the ground with only a fur blanket to cover me.” His mother wrinkled her nose at the comment, choosing not to reply to it unless it was with the click of her tongue. “Acting like what anyway? I didn’t say I wouldn’t do it.” _Not that_ _it_ _was his choice._

“You ran away and come back dripping wet and expect me to believe you aren’t acting a certain way?” His mother rested her back on his pillows, lifting her feet up. “The savages live a very lovely lifestyle. They also _do_ have castles. They just...travel a lot.” 

“Mother.” Tooru started, his face reddening slightly with anger and perhaps the cold. “I-I don’t want to argue right now. Can I have some time alone to bathe and sleep?” His mother seemed surprised with the request but she didn’t refute it. 

“I will talk to you tomorrow, Tooru.” She cooed. After he heard the door shut as she left, Tooru finally rested his head down, not caring that he was wetting the pillow. 

That night, Tooru slept restlessly, tossing around his large bed as if it would help him sleep better. Instead, he was awake until the early hours of the morning, falling asleep due to pure exhaustion. The light seeped in through the thin curtains, heating his cheek up until he finally blinked awake. It was morning time, not too early but not midday either. 

On the table opposite his bed, there was a large bowl filled with fresh fruit. The maids must have come in when he was sleeping. The blanket on top of his body fell down past his shoulders as he sat up, brushing sleep out of his eyes. Today looked as equally sunny as the day before, aside from the later afternoon when it had poured. Yesterday, he had not known he was bound to someone. Yesterday, he was a Prince Omega and today he was soon to be a Queen Savage. He knew both Hajime and his mother would chide him for naming them, ‘savage’ but that was their title. They lived in tents rather than houses not due to their poverty but due to their choice. They turned into wolves and fought beasts in the wilderness, they were animals. 

The heat from the sun on his face began to get uncomfortable and so he moved his head to the side, turning around to face the other side of the room. He always assumed he would, after marriage, end up in a room such as this. Perhaps even bigger. Shared with his husband, yes, but still a room. A bedroom. After stretching out his legs, he pulled the blanket away from his lower body and took a step off the bed. The floor underneath him was cool, the tiled floor shiny underneath the gleam of the sun. When he walked towards the table, his feet padded along the polished floor. He picked up a grape from the table, chewing on it mindlessly before he sat at one of the chairs closest to the bowl. Usually, he would have been awoken and forced to a lesson in the morning to teach him about foreign languages but he supposed today he was allowed a small break. 

Within two weeks, he was to meet his future husband. Within two weeks, he was to meet a savage King and his new people. Would they bring their tents into the castle? Would they camp out in the gardens? Tooru laughed a little at the thought. Bringing him out of his thoughts, he heard a soft knock at the door. He knew instantaneously that it was his mother, possibly asking to have breakfast with him. The door opened without his permission, possibly still assuming that either he was still asleep or that he was ignoring her. She walked inside the room, wearing only a thin blue dress that was floor length. Despite the coverage, it helped during the hot summer days and it was his mother’s favourite kind of clothing. Tooru assumed that she preferred it simply because his father’s mistress could not wear such clothes, the colour and sometimes material of the dresses reserved for royalty. 

“Mother.” He greeted from the table, not bothered to ignore her. 

“Tooru.” She replied, smiling softly as she always did when he was upset. She released her scent faintly into the air, almost as if she was calming him for his future anger. “Do you feel better today?” 

“That depends, is the marriage off?” 

His mother scoffed, clearly annoyed. “Of course not.” Before she spoke more, she walked towards the table and sat down opposite him, clasping her hands in front of her body. “That would mean there would be no treaty and there would be war.” 

“We would win.” 

“Make no mistake, Tooru.” His mother’s voice hardened with anger, “they may travel but they are not weak. The Southern people know and see their King making them more loyal.” 

“So, you agree with their ways?” Tooru asked. He picked another grape from the bowl and lifted his legs up on the chair, hoping to not show his anxiety. 

“Not all of them.” She answered honestly. Imitating him, she picked another grape from the table and crossed her legs, staring at him. “But they are not stupid. They have fought and won wars before because they are strong.” 

“They want war.” 

“Not with us.” 

“But with the North.” Tooru shot back, picking yet another grape from the bowel. “We would still be going to war.” 

“No. We would let them travel through us. We will not fight.” His mother assured him, clearly not understanding that Tooru – at this point – would be part of the Southern Kingdom, part of the fighting. “Why they want to fight is a fair reason, Tooru.” 

“The North will attack us for aiding them.” 

“The North is too divided to attack anyone.” She stated, she picked up a knife from the table and then an apple. They both sat in silence as she cut the apple into thin slices, placing it on a plate before taking one herself. Tooru grabbed the plate once she handed it over and placed it down in front of him. He was hungry but he would be content with just fruit. 

“Things were simpler when there were just the four Kingdoms.” His mother stated, sighing to herself. “The North ruined it for everyone by splitting and so, yes, we will side with the South.” 

“And that has to be done through marriage.” 

“Yes. The most binding contract of all.” His mother said. She hesitated a little after. “He could be a very nice man, Tooru.” 

“Do you believe that?” Tooru asked, genuinely curious. “You lived in the South for half your life. Do you swear on your mothers grave that you believe he would be a nice man?” 

“I swear.” That surprised Tooru, his face went slack. His mother, knowing she should answer properly offered a small smile before opening her mouth to speak. “The Southern Alphas are different from here. They are stronger, more aggressive – yes. But they are more loyal and honest.” 

“So, he will beat me but he won’t take a mistress.” Tooru scoffed, “glad we have the same perceptions of the word ‘nice’.” 

“Tooru, I cannot speak to you when you behave like this.” His mother chided, once more, angry. 

“Then don’t speak to me today.” He demanded, “I mean it mother. Leave me be today.” His mother sighed, grabbing another apple from the bowel and began to cut it. 

“I am not leaving you alone for one second today, Tooru.” 

The next two weeks were what to be expected from an anxious Omega awaiting his new husband. They were filled with endless lessons, telling him how to behave and sit and reminding him of the Southern tongue. Tooru was also introduced to new types of fruit and food that they grew here, inspired by the South. The food wasn’t too bad and the melons – which Tooru had already liked since childhood – did manage to make him seem more positive. 

Unlike what he had expected, Tooru was supposed to leave with the Southerners without anyone with him. No guards, servants or even a handmaiden. It was an agreement that did not seem to benefit their Kingdom or Tooru in any way. There was also no reason why the Southern Kingdom were against the idea of a group accompanying Tooru for at least a few months. However, that was what his father had instructed and so that is what Tooru will have to do. 

Hajime barely came to see him in the following weeks, apparently planning the ceremonial fights and training the guards and knights proved to be more important than seeing Tooru when he could. The Omega found himself more often than not in the gardens or even his bedroom, drawing or sometimes reading to help with the boredom. When Tooru had two days left until the arrival of his future husband, his mother ordered a slave to teach him the ways of camping. In these brief lessons, Tooru was taught to build tents, start fires and was even able to practice his archery more – something his father used to hate passionately. 

On the final day, Tooru found himself in his bedroom drawing a small picture of a bird he found on the balcony leading to his mother’s room in the morning. Considering it was from memory, Tooru found himself proud of the little drawing, shading in the little details to pass the time. There was a soft knock on the door and Tooru said the usual, ‘come in’ and watched as it creaked open. Hajime stood by the entrance; his head bowed to his chest as he entered. They had never met before in a setting such as this and Tooru found himself instinctively moving away from Hajime on his bed. The Alpha still did not meet his gaze until the door had shut, he looked up with a small smile. 

“What are you doing?” Tooru hissed, surprise flooding his features. “This isn’t allowed. The guards could-” 

“Matsukawa is guarding tonight, the other took a short break.” Hajime told him. “I will jump out the window to leave.” Tooru relaxed a little at the knowledge, shifting slightly closer to the Alpha who still stood by the door. 

Hajime inched towards him, not bothering to cover his excitement. They had hardly been alone in rooms before, let alone an actual bedroom. Tooru watched as the Alpha moved close enough to sit on the bed, resting one knee upon it. The window was open to the right of them letting in a chill breeze. The wind bit at Tooru’s arms forcing him to shiver. Without a care, he lifted his legs up which made the drawing book he was using fall beside him to the ground. Hajime looked over to the thud before he focused his eyes back on Tooru. 

“Tooru.” Hajime spoke. His name was barely used during their conversations making it so much more intimate now. “I’m going to miss you.” 

“Me too Iwa-chan.” Tooru scooted forwards, pulling at Hajime’s arm until he fell onto the bed gracelessly. Hajime stretched out his limbs on the bedding, watching Tooru through the side of his eyes. “You haven’t seen me these past weeks.” 

“No.” Hajime looked down. “I couldn’t. You have no idea how much it has hurt me.” 

“You...couldn’t?” Tooru questioned, tilting his head a little in confusion. From what Tooru had known, there was no reason why Hajime could not have seen him. 

“Your mother forbade it.” Hajime answered, “for your own good of course. But I had to see you.” Tooru nodded slowly, not sure what he should have done with this information. Hajime leant towards him, leaning on one elbow. The hand that was free moved towards Tooru’s face, sketching his finger over his cheek before he brushed a loose strand of hair back. Tooru angled himself into the touch, comforted by the faint scent of Hajime. 

The Alpha moved forwards, inching towards Tooru’s face before the Omega finally pulled away. “We can’t.” He explained. “I’m marrying someone. I have to be-” Hajime kissed him. The kiss wasn’t his first but it was a forbidden kiss nonetheless. The kiss was forceful, pushing Tooru backwards slightly. “Haj-” Another kiss, this time Hajime’s tongue poked through his closed lips, brushing past his teeth. Tooru moaned a little into the kiss but pulled back. 

“Why not?” 

“He’ll know.” Tooru said, his eyes watering with the effort not to leap onto Hajime’s lap. “I’m sorry.” Hajime nodded, running a hand down Tooru’s back. 

“It’s okay, Tooru.” Hajime said, his usual smile back on his face. However, Tooru could see the strain in his eyes. “Do you want me to stay?” 

“Yes.” Tooru breathed. They were still so close, Hajime’s hand keeping him stuck to his body. “Talk to me about anything. How was training today?” 

Hajime let out a small laugh, “It was...like any other day.” Tooru pouted at the stupid response, flicking at Hajime’s leg. “What do you want me to say?” Hajime laughed. 

“Something that is interesting!” Tooru whined, sure to keep his voice down so that any person on the outside could not hear. 

“Your husband is going to be taking part of the ceremonial Circle Fights.” Tooru’s face dropped, his eyes darkened and he turned away. “What?” 

“I don’t want to talk about that.” Tooru huffed, crossing his arms. “I don’t care.” 

“Hey.” Hajime stated, “I know. But you should still pay attention. Whether you want it or not, he is to be your husband.” 

“You sound just like my mother.” Tooru sighed, he faced Hajime once more. The Alpha’s brows were hunched down and his frown deepened. “What does it matter if I marry him, I don’t have to care for him.” 

“No.” Hajime mused, swaying his head as though he barely agreed. “Fine, you don’t want to talk about my boring training day and you don’t want to talk about your husband. What do you want to talk about?” 

Tooru didn’t answer, instead he lay his head on Hajime’s shoulder and rested it downwards. Hajime leant backwards into the pillows so that they could both lie down comfortably. Tooru turned so that his hair was less on Hajime’s face and so that he could rest his head on Hajime’s chest. The soft vibration of the Alpha’s breath and the faint smell of his sweat from the hot day calmed him down. 

“You’re going to die without me.” Tooru finally said, “You’ll be so bored.” 

“I have other things to do besides talk to you, _Oikawa_.” The name proved that they were both joking. Tooru laughed a little into his chest. 

“Like what?” Tooru teased, “bullying the poor Alphas who devoted their swords to your command?” This was their usual inside joke. Hajime was always insecure about his leading style and so naturally Tooru poked fun at it. 

“I don’t bully-” 

“Sure, they just _love_ having a grumpy captain.” Tooru laughed, only stopping when Hajime snaked his hand round to hit his head. 

Tooru wished they could stay here like this for the rest of his life. The moment he thought that, he regretted it. Hajime rambled on about how Tooru would have failed to be a captain as he cared more about his hair rather than the soldiers' lives but Tooru paid attention to his heartbeat. The soft, dull thud was his only constant throughout his years as a Court Omega and Palace Prince. Without it, he wasn’t sure if he could survive. Tooru almost said that aloud before he heard another knock on the door and a deep voice on the other side. 

They both shot up from their position in the bed and Tooru looked at him in panic. Hajime patted his hair down and gave a soft kiss to his cheek, mumbling something that Tooru could not concentrate on at the moment. The window, which was already open, seemed to be Hajime’s route to escape and he lunged out into the balcony. Tooru wasn’t sure what he did after that because he called out to announce that the person outside could enter. To his surprise, it was his father who arrived; opening the door and entering. Usually, it would be his mother out of his parents who checked up on him and Tooru was glad it wasn’t this time. His mother doesn’t knock. 

“Tooru.” His father greeted, an unusual smile on his lips. The older man stepped forwards, the guards shutting the door behind him. 

“Father.” Tooru responded, he pulled his dress down a little and tucked his hair back. This was an unnerving situation. If his father was more in tune with his senses, he could have been able to smell that Hajime – or at least another Alpha - was here. 

“Tomorrow, Ushijima Wakatoshi arrives.” His father announced, staring right at Tooru’s eyes. “You will dress how your mother sees fit.” 

“Yes father.” Tooru nodded, keeping his head down. 

“He will be staying for a few days. You will be wed where their campsite is.” Tooru halted, staring at his own hands. He was not even allowed a wedding at his own house. “Don’t look so surprised, the Omega always marries at the Alpha’s home.” 

“I-” 

“Don’t interrupt.” His father snapped. Immediately, Tooru’s head dropped down once more and he picked at the thing material of the blanket. “He will be performing in the Circle Fights.” Tooru nodded. “After a few days whilst we sort out the treaty, you will leave with him. Your mother and I, along with Tobio and the guards, will go to attend the wedding and then return back.” 

“Okay, father.” Tooru stated, showing he understood. His father nodded, turning on his heel to leave. The brief talk made Tooru wonder if he really came here to say this or to check up on Tooru, making sure he wasn’t doing anything stupid. Such as, meeting an unmarried, unmated Alpha and laying with him on his bed. 

“Oh, and Tooru?” His father turned once more to look at him, “don’t disappoint me.” Tooru nodded, keeping his head down. 

Tooru was instructed to wait by the Palace entrance with his mother and father whilst they awaited the Southerners. Apparently, although they usually travelled with foot, they would be arriving via carriage. Tooru wondered if that meant he could leave by carriage also, before he was doomed to a life of constant walking. His mother, dressed in a thick blue long gown, wore her famous crown, matching her husband. Tobio, holding onto his mother’s hand, was wearing blue also – a small Prince crown placed on his tiny head. His dark hair contrasted to the gold irritating Tooru more than it should have. Tooru himself was dressed in a thin light blue dress; its length was to the floor but it had a small slit above his knee to reveal some skin. It was also low cut to highlight his shoulders and the crown jewels he wore in the form of a necklace. There was a small tiara placed on Tooru’s head, a small interweaved band that circled around his head. 

The sound of a trumpet brought all their attention and they all simultaneously looked towards the Palace gates. From the gates, it was still a ten-minute journey for the carriage to make but Tooru could see the front carriage, golden plated travel closer towards him. His heart seemed to hammer against his chest and sweat poured from his forehead and hands. It all seemed too much. He was to meet his husband, the one he would be mated to, the father of his future children. Someone he had never met before. His mother was looking at him but he ignored her, concentrating on his own breaths. The carriage arrived in front of them, the first filled with guards and security. All of them, from what Tooru could see, were armored up as though they were expecting a fight. Then, the second carriage, one that typically carried the significant members of the party, halted in front of the palace steps. The door was swung open by one of the palace footmen, before the man took a step out. Tooru watched as the footmen backed away and the man’s own guards stepped closer towards him. He couldn’t see him at first but when he did, his eyes widened at the sight. 

The Alpha was tall, incredibly so. And large. His body was so much bigger than Hajime’s or even his father. He had never seen an Alpha like this. It was obvious it was their average physique, though, from the look of the guards he surrounded himself with. Tooru stepped forwards and bowed politely, as his mother had instructed him to do so beforehand. Usually, an Alpha would stare less obviously but this one was content with observing every inch of Tooru. The argument would be that they were already betrothed so he didn’t have to pretend to be a gentleman but Tooru assumed it was because the man didn’t care how others thought of him. This was clear from the way he ignored Tooru’s father and instead walked towards Tooru, his hand outstretched in offering. Tooru didn’t know what to do apart from accept it, placing his hand inside the large palm and closing his fingers around the bottom. The hand was warm, surprising considering the temperature of the day but Tooru mostly focused on the man’s gaze. He was still staring. 

“Tooru.” The man tilted his head, his hand tightening a little. “That is your name, right?” Tooru bit back the comment that he was to be this man’s bride and of course the man should know his name but instead he nodded, painfully so. 

They stared at each other. 

“Do you speak?” Tooru’s face went immediately red at the dense comment and he instantly decided he hated this man. 

“Of course, I speak.” He gritted, smiling over at his mother who was behind the large Alpha. “Would you prefer a silent bride?” The man seemed put off by this statement but a clap on his back stopped both of them from speaking. 

“We must prepare the final things. My servants will show you to your room.” Tooru’s father thankfully interrupted them, eagerly smiling next to them. Tooru took his hand away from the clutch of the Alpha and smiled to his father, asking subtly if he could be excused. He knew he would end up married to this man but that didn’t mean he had to waste every second by his side. Any minute he could spare away from him would be a minute blessed. 

“Of course.” The man shifted, seemingly uncomfortable. Or maybe that was his only emotion from what Tooru had seen. “Thank you.” 

At dinner, Tooru was sat opposite the man, the usual seating arrangement for a betrothed couple. Tooru refused to look at the Alpha and so trained his gaze to his own hands underneath the table. No one seemed to mind as it was his duty to stay silent at dinner. Through the conversation, Tooru gathered that the Circle Fights would take place two days from tonight. The Alpha questioned about the rulings, seemingly not too fussed about the arrangement. This surprised Tooru. The Circle of Fights was no easy feat and any Alpha with the hopes of bringing back an Omega, betrothed or not, would not enter such a fight. Polo or Javelin would make for better sport. The advisor that Wakatoshi brought forth with him had messy hair, it was a dark black which covered the top half of his head. Once the advisor caught him staring, Tooru dropped his head down again. 

The conversation moved onto other topics such as the treaty and how they wished to proceed. Tooru tried his best to concentrate for this topic but the Alpha’s voice droned on and he felt himself spacing out. He turned to see his mother, beside him, smiling at him. She spoke, then, to his father – mentioning Tooru’s studies on an ancient language that Wakatoshi was interested in. Tooru didn’t feel the need to say anything and so he remained silent, his head low on the table. Despite the uneasiness of the table, they were dismissed calmly by the King – Tooru's father – and all stood up to bow at one another. Wakatoshi’s advisor bowed towards Tooru, a small smirk on his lips before he bowed at Tooru’s mother and ruffled Tobio’s hair. They walked in unison out of the dining room, the doors opened for them by the guards before they slammed shut. Tooru’s father sat back down, outstretching his legs. 

“Tobio, you are dismissed.” His brother seemed happy with this, bouncing off his seat and scampering off outside the room. Tooru’s mother sat down, also, this time opposite her husband as she usually sat when there were no guests. Both parents stared at Tooru. “He likes you.” His father stated, his voice light as though he was joking. 

His mother did not speak but she kept her eyes on him, her mouth twitching a little in annoyance or possibly even fear. 

“You know, Tooru, many Alphas wanted to court you.” Tooru nodded, this was a fact his father mentioned daily. It was like it was an insult despite the fact that it was Tooru’s purpose, as a Court Omega, to be courted and married whilst young. This, in the future, would build connections and create a stronger court for both he and his husband. “I wouldn’t let them.” This was something Tooru did not know. He always assumed that they stopped pursuing him due to his royal status and the fact that he would have to marry a Prince. Even then, that wasn’t necessarily true as there were other Princes who attempted to court him. 

“Akio.” Tooru’s mother spoke, her lip trembled and she tucked her hair behind her ear nervously. Tooru watched his mother anxiously, awaiting his father’s angered voice for the interruption but nothing happened. Instead, there was a small sigh from the other side of the large table and Tooru turned to see his father pinch the bridge of his nose. 

“Leave it.” His father reminded sternly, his clenched fist loosened and he lifted another glass of wine. Once he had taken a sip, he licked his lips and smiled – tilting his head back. “I always told them, no. You understand why?” 

“No, father.” There was no reason Tooru could think of. 

“I knew the savages would ask for your hand in marriage.” His father told him, taking another gulp of the wine. “I knew they would want an alliance with us.” 

“So, you wanted the treaty with them?” Tooru asked, trying to reason with what his father was telling him. “For war with the North.” 

“No.” His father laughed. “War with the North would benefit us, yes. But mostly. Mostly, I just wanted to show to you what you deserve.” Tooru blinked, swallowing the lump in his throat. “You have no idea what it was like to have my oldest, my only child, as an Omega all these years. Finally, I’ve had Tobio. But before that?” 

Tooru looked down, trying not to show his father the distress he was causing him. On the other side of the table, he could feel the gaze of his mother. 

“Did your mother ever tell you that she was married before I proposed to her?” Tooru didn’t answer. His mother had never told him this. “To a man. He died during the Great War.” The news surprised Tooru. He would never have thought that his father would have married a widow, let alone allow her to be Queen. It must not have been common knowledge. “She was married to a _savage_.” 

“Akio-” His mother started once more but this time she wasn’t as lucky as the last, the goblet he was holding before was thrown to the ground. The wine spilled alongside the tiles and the bottom his chair, he didn’t look at it though, instead he looked straight at his wife. 

“Silence.” He ordered, his tone still level although it was clear he was not. His gaze shifted from Tooru’s mother to him, watching his son’s heavy breathing. “Who knows, Tooru? Perhaps your actual father was a savage.” He laughed. “It would make a lot of sense. And now, now I’ve given you a chance to be taken by one.” Tooru’s face reddened at the implication and he bit his already bruised lip. “You are dismissed.” 

Tooru didn’t waste any time, he stood up and bowed before leaving the dining room. He had never heard this before, always assuming that his father’s hatred of him stemmed through his father’s hatred for royal Omegas. Especially first-born Omegas. Yet, even now, knowing this fact – he couldn’t think it was true. Although he knew where his mother had lived during the first half of her life, he never would have imagined that his mother would have married a Southerner, a savage. Let alone birth their child. As he lay on his bed, he replayed every moment with him and his father, trying to assess whether he truly was telling the truth or whether he wanted a reason to hate his own child. Sleep didn’t take him until the early hours of the next day. He kept himself inside for the rest of the day, locking the door and refusing to let anyone, especially his mother, inside. He was leaving soon; it wasn’t as though he could be punished for this insolence. 

The day after, Tooru was forced to leave his bed chamber for the reason that it was the Circle Fights today. He would have to attend the fights due to his own engagement with the main fighter, Wakatoshi. There was little time to get ready in the morning, his mother had informed him. She stayed and watched as the handmaidens rushed to help him get ready, their hand’s roughly washing the sweat and dirt from his skin. They bathed him as though he was getting married tonight, dousing him with strong-smelling fragrances and foreign oils. They massaged both into his skin, almost softening it with the amount of product they had put on him. After this, they patted his face with some powder that he always wore and crushed berries into a bowl, wiping it across his lips to stain them a pretty pink. Tooru used to love to dress up but today he felt as though he was being sold to a man rather than he was able to court one. His mother, watching from the bed, made small cooing noises or told the handmaidens what to do. Aside from that, she didn’t speak to Tooru – something he was glad of. Finally, they dressed him in a small light green dress that went to his calves. It was thin and so underneath he had to wear a white dress top so that he was truly modest. His hair was still allowed to be as bouncy as he usually wore it but it was flattened slightly to make it seem like it was longer. 

He and his mother were matching with their colour dresses. They did this a lot as his mother loved to dress him up as her clone. He looked up at her, still sitting down, as she pointed to the pillow resting on his right-hand side. On it, there was the small banded tiara that he wore the other day – signifying his status as a royal member of the Oikawa Household. Oikawa. Was he even an Oikawa? 

His mother seemed to notice his faltered gaze because she ordered the handmaidens to leave, barking at them to shut the door. Once the room was empty, she sat back and thought on what to say. 

“Tooru-” 

“I don’t want to talk about it.” Tooru huffed. 

“You are my son.” She said, not what Tooru had expected her to state. “No matter what, you are my son. I was always a Southerner.” 

“So, you are not denying it. My father was a Southerner.” Tooru asked, his voice shaky. “My father was a savage.” 

“Stop.” She hissed. “Your father is the King of the Oikawa household. Something you should not wish for.” The statement was true to some extent. Whether his father was a tyrant or not, he was better than a savage. 

“Were you untouched?” Tooru asked her, “when you married father?” 

His mother didn’t answer. 

“Do you know for sure?” Tooru asked, hoping this time she would assure him. 

Once more, she didn’t answer. 

“We should leave.” Tooru stated, trying his best not to cry and smudge the powder that was placed on his cheeks. His mother seemed to sympathize but other than that she ignored him, standing up and brushing off anything on her dress. She clasped her small hand on his arm, pulling him into her so that she could scent him before they left. 

“No matter what, you are my son. And I am the Queen of the Oikawa household.” Tooru nodded. “You are marrying a savage, not because you deserve less but because you deserve to have your own people.” 

The doors opened and they exited together. 

The Circle of Fights was a tradition that dated back centuries in Tooru’s kingdom; it was a fight that usually decided the strongest knight. This fight, although made to decide who should court a Court Omega, was barely used due to the intensity of it. There were only a few rules, one must stay in the circle at all times and they must last from midday until sundown. There would be various different opponents to fight until one of them is beaten, whoever wins the fight would have to stay in the circle until they lose. However, whoever lasts until sundown remains the winner. Wakatoshi, being the new Alpha and a man betrothed to the Prince of the Kingdom would begin in the circle. From what he had seen, Tooru could predict that although he would last the longest in the circle, fighting off opponents, he would not last until sundown. It was impossible to do so, no matter the skill. Tooru had only ever seen one other Circle of Fights in his life and it was when he saw his uncle last from midday until five hours before sundown, nearly dying from the beating that allowed him to lose. After that, he always assumed there would never be another game such as this. However, he assumed both his father and his future husband wished to prove something to each other. 

The Alpha was shirtless, his body painted with various black and blue paints – a tradition for the Circle Fighters. With each loss they suffer, the paint would rub off to prove who was the strongest fighter. Aside from his first opponent, the other fighters were obviously sitting in a tent not too far away, covered from the heat of the sun. It seemed unfair, Tooru thought, that Wakatoshi would have to stand – if he wanted to last until sundown – outside the whole day whilst most of the people he would fight were allowed water and fruit throughout. However, it was the rules of the game no one alive had written. The bell rang by the hill a long distance away from the arena, signaling that the first fight should begin. The two men circled each other, their feet shoveling the sand around them to dig in their footprints within the circle. The circle wasn’t too small but it was only big enough for a spar, there was hardly enough room to bounce back from a beating or even to run away to gain some time. It was outlined through a small white rope which was stuck to the ground, unmovable. There were also a few guards nearby to watch the game, only protected with daggers and small shields as to not interfere too drastically. 

Tooru observed, through his place in the stands, that his future husband was a skilled fighter. After insulting Tooru beforehand, the Omega felt the need to insult the man back but as he watched him fight – he knew he would have nothing to say. The Alpha fought as though each fight may be his last. Although it wasn’t custom to fight till the death it looked as though someone forgot to tell Wakatoshi this fact. Each opponent he faced was left beaten into the ground, their faces either mushed or their limbs broken. His father, as usual with any brutish Alpha, remained impressed with his future son-in-law. He showed this by constantly clapping when Wakatoshi defeated someone and cheering when Wakatoshi started a new fight. 

No one, in the trials of the fights that Tooru had heard of, has stood this long in the circle. It was deemed impossible by many Alphas. He should get tired soon, Tooru supposed. Wakatoshi – as if he had read his mind – looked up at him in the stands. Although his facial expression did not change, his eyes glinted a little. It could have been the light or it could have been Wakatoshi proud that he had proved something. Tooru didn’t give him the satisfaction of a response and turned around to pretend to speak with his mother, who – just like his father – was entranced by the performance. 

“I must say, Tooru.” His mother spoke, distracted by still staring at Wakatoshi. “You are marrying a strong Alpha.” 

“So?” Tooru sighed, sitting back in his chair to appear unamused when Wakatoshi looked up once more. “I thought you hated strong Alphas. You said they were all brutes.” 

Luckily for them, Tooru’s father did not hear the comment. His mother was still displeased with the comment. 

“There is a difference between strong and brutish.” His mother chided, looking at him finally. However, the disappointment that was evident on her face bored Tooru and so he looked away almost immediately. 

The next fight was announced after they had given Wakatoshi a small break, handing him water and a towel to wipe off the blood that remained on his hands. However, there was nothing to stop the stick of the cotton shirt he was wearing, also covered with sweat and blood. There was also nothing to stop the slight tremor in his legs. It would be a major defeat for someone to take him down and yet Tooru thought it wouldn’t be at the same time. The Alpha was exhausted. It would not be an easy win but it wouldn’t be a fair one either. By looking at the sun, Tooru could see that there wasn’t long left to go. His Alpha had lasted nearly the whole day. Depending on how long the next fight lasted, there may only be one more fight left. 

Tooru watched the outer circle, wanting to know who the next opponent would be. He hoped it was Eiji, that guard often teased him and Hajime when they grew up, scaring Tooru when he had the chance. However, who stepped forwards surprised Tooru. The crowd stood up and cheered loudly at the Captain of the Guard walking towards the middle of the circle. Tooru jumped a little in his chair, scooting forwards to watch as Hajime walked towards his future husband. Without a care, both Hajime and Wakatoshi looked up at him, both with knowledge in their eyes. Despite the tiredness Tooru had seen before, Wakatoshi seemed more fired up than he had in the previous fights. He didn’t want to watch this one. His mother, as if she understood completely, grasped his hand tightly, keeping it on his leg. 

“Who do you want to win, Tooru?” His uncle asked from beside his father. “Your father tells me you are close with the Captain.” Tooru wasn’t sure if the comment was snide or not but he knew he couldn’t ignore it. 

“My husband, of course.” Tooru lied with a smile. _He did not want Hajime to be hurt._ His uncle nodded at the answer, staring downwards at the pit once more. This made Tooru grateful that it was not the tradition for them to kill their opponent. At least Hajime will live after this. 

“Then you mustn’t worry.” His father joined in, smiling at Tooru. “Your husband is sure to win.” Tooru swallowed but didn’t answer. He bit the inside of his cheek and begged himself to stop the tears that were threatening to fall. 

Now, the circle was ready and the guards stepped aside. Wakatoshi didn’t circle Hajime until the other Alpha started, he was examining the smaller man instead. Hajime didn’t seem to focus much because he dived straight away towards Wakatoshi’s neck, gripping it and pulling it downwards against his bicep. 

From here, he should have been able to maneuver his legs to move Wakatoshi lower but the taller Alpha gripped Hajime’s forearm and hoisted it up, bending it backwards. Tooru watched, biting his lip with anxiety. Hajime let out a pained yelp but managed to rip his arm away from the grip and bounce back to the edge of the circle, moving round it again. 

This time, Wakatoshi moved first, grabbing Hajime’s left arm and flipping the other Alpha around, pushing him into the ground. Hajime’s eyes filled with the dust but he struggled underneath the grip, pushing his back backwards and forcing Wakatoshi to move upwards. From this position, he flipped around once more and used his legs to both push Wakatoshi downwards and jump straight. 

Tooru felt as though he couldn’t watch anymore, turning his head quickly to look at his mother who was staring right at him. Although she constantly kept him and Hajime apart when she could, her look was filled with understanding and pity. 

“Look, Tooru.” His father sneered, “I told you that Wakatoshi would win. Maybe I need a replacement for the Captain of the Guard.” The other men around the area all laughed with the comment. Tooru didn’t answer him but he knew it was a warning to look at Hajime on the ground and so he did. 

Hajime, right now, was pressed against the ground, staring up at Wakatoshi. His legs surrounded the taller Alpha’s waist but he could not move up. In the previous fights, Wakatoshi had beaten his opponents once he had gotten the upper hand. Now, he stood up, keeping one foot on Hajime’s chest to keep him there. 

Hajime swung his leg around but Wakatoshi dodged it just enough for him to still collide into Hajime, pushing him further into the rough ground beneath them. Hajime’s growl was loud enough for everyone to hear. Wakatoshi, once more, stood up, keeping Hajime on the ground now with his feet on either side of Hajime’s arms. 

He stared up onto the seats where Tooru and his parents sat, staring at Tooru’s father – the King. 

“I have won. I do not need to beat him to show that.” Tooru’s mouth almost dropped open with a shout but he restrained himself. He stared at Hajime; whose face was scrunched up in humiliation. This was the purpose of this fight. Not to hurt Hajime but to show Tooru that he was better than him. 

Hajime would have wanted to beating, not to have lost with a few scrapes. However, God was on Wakatoshi’s side because the sky darkened as the sun started to set. Thus, the fights in the circle for the day had ended. Wakatoshi was the first and the last man standing. 

And, Hajime. 

Hajime was on the ground, not bleeding but hurt. 

Wakatoshi faced Tooru at dinner, mostly because it couldn’t be helped as he was sat opposite him but partly due to the constant staring. There was nowhere Tooru could look without glancing so often at the dull brown eyes at the other side of the table. The Alpha seemed content with the constant observation, only turning to speak to Tooru’s father or mother and sometimes even Tobio. 

After a while, once the conversation seemed to die down a little, Tooru’s mother asked Wakatoshi about his own parents. 

“They did not like to travel a lot. Perhaps why you didn’t see them.” 

“But you do like to travel, Wakatoshi?” Tooru’s mother asked, her tone hopeful as if he would say no. Wakatoshi seemed unamused with the question, presuming that she should have known the answer anyway. 

“Yes.” He answered, this time looking at Tooru. “My opinion is that I should follow the footsteps of my ancestors and travel to be at one with my people. It is hard to understand them if you are not one of them.” 

“And must you understand them?” Tooru asked, sitting up in his chair. He knew it wasn’t usually his place to speak but Wakatoshi had made a comment before about his silence. “There is a difference between royalty and citizen.” 

“Yes. I aim to understand and to govern.” Wakatoshi stated, his hands were clasped – looking although this was a meeting and Tooru was an official courtsman he wished to prove wrong. The table had gone silent, everyone looking at the couple. 

“How do you govern when you are only by a selection of people?” 

“Are you not with a selection of people in the Palace? My selection of people who travel with me and who stay at home are different. My location is known by few and my law by everyone. It has worked for centuries. Do you not learn about that here?” 

Before Tooru could respond to the rudeness, his father held up his hand silencing him. Wakatoshi seemed displeased by this but didn’t speak further either. Instead, he refocused his eyes on the desert in front of them. They served the usual sweet tart which Tooru loved, it allowed him to ignore the Alpha in front of him and calm himself down. His mother released a soft emitting scent, calming him further whilst he sat still. The scent wasn’t obvious enough for the Alphas but it was potent enough to envelop Tooru in it. 

“-Tomorrow, you can train with our Captain of the Guard. The one you beat today.” Tooru picked up the end of the sentence his father said. Not trying to draw attention on both himself and Hajime, he didn’t look up until his future husband spoke. 

“Ah, yes. Iwaizumi Hajime. I will look forward to it, he seemed like a skilled fighter.” 

“He is.” Tooru’s father boasted. Despite the clear dislike towards the lower-class Alpha due to Tooru’s fondness of him, he could understand that Hajime was a skilled man. “He trained alongside his father since he was young.” 

Once more, Tooru tried his best to focus on the tart. The sweetness of it almost distracted him until his father announced that it was the end of dinner. Tooru stood at the same time as his mother, leaving the half-eaten tart on the plate. Wakatoshi gave him a small nod, before Tooru left – behind his mother, head cast down. 

“I hate him, mother.” Tooru whispered once the doors were shut. His mother tutted, making sure no one was around them apart from the guards before she walked a little quicker. 

“He does seem very arrogant.” His mother finally admitted, her shoulders down in defeat. “But- he could be a lot worse, Tooru. I am not just saying that.” 

“How?” With that comment, she rolled her eyes. They passed a corridor and went silent once more as the guards stood there at their post. Tooru remembered that soon, very soon, he would not have this sort of security anymore. The guards that surround Wakatoshi looked magnificent, yes, but there were only a handful of them. 

They were close to Tooru’s room, only up the staircase and a right turning. They both did it synchronized and without talking, as if they were on a secretive mission. Once they entered Tooru’s room, he instantly ran to his bed and flopped on it – his usual stance. 

“He clearly wants to speak to you. Tomorrow, go with him. With an escort, of course.” 

“No.” 

“Tooru-” 

“No!” Tooru finally snapped, “he’s going to see Hajime. I will _not-_ ” 

“Hajime?” His mother asked. “That’s what you call him now?” Tooru stilled on the bed, completely frozen. He should be honest otherwise his mother would assume the worst. 

“Yes.” Tooru replied. 

“Why?” She asked. 

“He is Captain of the Guard, mother.” Tooru turned his head around, staring at her. “Obviously I call him by his name. I have known him since-” 

“Tooru.” She interrupted; her eyes wide like he had told her a scary story. “You haven’t slept with him, have you?” 

“Mother, you would have been able to smell it.” Tooru rolled his eyes, shifting on the bed before staring at her. He pulled a cushion up and held it between both his arms and in his lap. His mother, clearly angry, stared back. 

“That’s not true.” 

“It’s...not?” Tooru tilted his head. Throughout his life he had assumed that they would be able to tell the shift in his scent. He could have had Hajime. He wanted to have had Hajime. It wasn’t too late. “Well, why is it so important I stay pure then?” 

“You can tell by scent.” His mother said finally, shattering the hope he had. “But- there are ways of hiding it.” _There were?_ “The reason you should stay pure is because most royalty are pack leaders; they would be able to tell. Most Alphas don’t like the thought of an impure Omega.” 

Tooru almost cried at that very moment, he flung his head back against the pillows and let out a little shout. His mother seemed upset by this, moving off her chair and towards the bed. 

“How do you feel about Hajime?” 

“He is just a friend, mother.” Tooru lied, tears now falling freely down his cheeks. “He is just a close friend.” With this, he sobbed onto the bottom of her dress – letting her lift his head and place it on her lap. 

“I know.” She murmured as she stroked both his face and his hair, comforting him with her soft scent. “I know.” 

Tooru sat on the bannister of the ballroom, glancing down at the training arena. From here, he could see Wakatoshi – with Tooru’s father and his guards – stalk towards Hajime. Wakatoshi offered his hand out in greeting; gripping it tightly when Hajime shook it. They stared at each other for a long minute before they broke apart, both bowing politely to Tooru’s father. 

Tooru could not hear anything from here but he knew that Wakatoshi was speaking, his body moving with his words. The man, unsurprisingly, did not express himself with his body language, mostly staying still as he spoke. Hajime was the opposite, bouncing a little as he spoke to the other Alpha. It was obvious now, the size difference between both Alphas. Wakatoshi was tall, imposing whereas Hajime was smaller, more modest with his behaviour. The King turned his back around and walked away from the younger Alphas, pleased that he had introduced them. 

Once his father had gone from sight, Tooru wanted to see how close he could get to see what would happen between both Alphas. In case Hajime needed him to, he could intervene. Not that he would suggest that Hajime may need him for any reason. He ran quickly away from the balcony and towards the staircase, and downstairs where he could sit by the garden. The gardener, a small old man, greeted him warmly and offered him a small wooden block on top of a hedge for him to sit. Although the gardener did not know he was here to spy, the block gave him a nice view of the two Alphas. 

They were speaking of something, Tooru had missed most of the conversation. It did not seem hostile and so he almost left before he heard - 

“I have been told you have trained for years.” Wakatoshi stated, from this angle, Tooru could not see Wakatoshi’s face – only his neck and some of his cheek as he was standing with his head turned to the side. His body was straightened, though, he was posturing. 

“Yes.” 

“Then why did you lose yesterday so easily.” Wakatoshi’s comment made both Tooru and Hajime stiffen up. “Surely you wanted to win.” 

“Of course. Everyone in the circle wants to win.” 

“That is not what I meant.” Wakatoshi cut in, his tone hardening. Tooru wasn’t sure what was going to happen from here. He ignored the gardener’s offer for water and instead kept his eyes concentrated on the Alphas in front of him. “You wanted to win for another reason.” 

Tooru’s eyes widened and he felt his breath leave him. There was no way Wakatoshi could know or even think this, it could annul the marriage and ruin the treaty they had created. Tooru could have failed his duty as a Prince, as an Omega. 

“I have no idea what you mean.” Hajime insisted, “I wanted to win to prove that I could beat a savage, that’s all.” The word ‘savage’ meant that Hajime was threatened, pushed into a corner. It was always Hajime before who had told Tooru not to label the Southern people as savage just because their lifestyle was different. 

Tooru had no idea how Wakatoshi would react. 

“I see.” Wakatoshi said, his shoulders easing up. “And yet, you still lost.” 

“That I did.” 

“Very well. It was good speaking with you, Iwaizumi Hajime.” Wakatoshi didn’t offer his hand this time, content with turning his back to walk away. “May we never fight again.” 

Tooru, that night, found himself wandering the Palace grounds once more. He was dressed modestly, his dress long – touching the ground and covering his bare feet. The wind seemed softer now than it did most nights which allowed him to sit peacefully and stare at the sky. It wasn’t as if he wouldn’t be able to do this when he was married, it was just that he wasn’t sure if it would feel the same – if he did it every night. The stars were always beautiful, especially when they scattered the darkness on a cloudless night. He heard footsteps before he saw the figure coming towards him, he turned his head to the direction of the sound. Wakatoshi stopped, as though he had been caught, and stared at him silently. It wasn’t too improper, considering that their wedding night was incredibly soon, but they should still have had an escort of some sort. Tooru watched carefully as Wakatoshi drew in a deep breath, before he spoke. 

“I didn’t know you walked along here.” He explained. Tooru knew he was assuring him that he wasn’t following him but the comment still made him smile a little at the awkwardness. 

“Why are you walking here?” Tooru asked, pursing his lips afterwards. 

“I can’t sleep here.” Wakatoshi admitted. The comment was an explanation, Tooru knew that, and yet he still flinched a little at it. Would he ever get used to sleeping in a tent? Would he end up being restless on a Palace bed? 

“It’s not too uncomfortable.” Tooru sneered. “It’s better than a tent.” 

“Have you ever slept in a tent?” Wakatoshi asked. He paused, waiting for Tooru’s response and when Tooru didn’t offer one he sighed. “You are very quick to judge.” 

“Don’t assume anything about me.” Tooru said, “I’ve only just met you.” Wakatoshi leant back on one of the bannisters that led to the main staircase towards the Palace. The guards, who took turns guarding the main doors, were at the top. They could not hear their conversation but they could assume from the facial expressions and the small raises in voice. 

“Why does it offend you?” Wakatoshi asked, “that I am a Southerner.” Tooru was glad that the man had at least picked that up. Despite not having many conversations with him, Tooru had proven his dislike for the man’s denseness and Southern attributes. 

“It doesn’t offend me. My mother is a Southerner.” Tooru stated, “It offends me that I must marry one.” Tooru watched as Wakatoshi’s eyes flickered a little – an emotion he couldn’t read – before his face went back to his usual impassiveness. 

“Does the duty of your people not matter to you?” 

“What?” Tooru snapped, “of course it does! That is why I _am_ marrying you.” With this, he nearly turned and stormed off but a hand – clasping onto his wrist – stopped him. He hadn’t realized when they had gotten so close for him to be grabbed but he ripped his wrist away from the grip anyway. 

“You should learn some respect.” Wakatoshi growled lowly, the response surprising him a little. Tooru watched as the Alpha contained himself once more, staring at Tooru – awaiting his reaction. Instead of giving him one, Tooru fully turned around and walked upstairs to the guards. It annoyed him that they did little to prevent what just happened but he assumed they didn’t want to cause trouble with a foreign King. 

He walked back angrily; the walk clearly having done nothing to calm him down. Just as he turned into the staircase which led him to his own wing, he heard someone walk towards him again. It was Wakatoshi once more. 

“Leave me alone.” Tooru snapped, admittedly childishly. He stood on two of the stairs so that he nearly matched Wakatoshi in height and crossed his arms. 

“We are getting married in three days.” 

“I know.” Tooru said, “I may not have a choice but at least I know when my wedding day is.” 

“I see.” Wakatoshi paused, “I assumed that this knowledge would make you understand the gravity of this situation. When we are married, you cannot run from it. I am a Southern King and I will wage war on the Nothern Kingdoms with the help of yours. You cannot escape this.” 

Tooru clenched his fists in anger, his whole body going taught with tension before he forced himself to exhale the breath he had been holding. He wouldn’t bother the man with an explanation, so he made himself turn on his heel. As he ascended the stairs, he listened out to hear if Wakatoshi would follow him but luckily the man had enough sense to leave it at that. He was marrying a Southern Savage. A King who desired War. 

Hajime sat in his room, his body pressed against the wall behind him and his knees drawn up to his chest. In front of him, he held the letter that had first told him that he was to be the new Captain of the Guard. At his age, this was a huge feat – on his way to become a general, someone who would have had the status to marry Tooru. Not that he could anymore. 

It wasn’t as if he even deserved the title of the Captain of the Guard anymore. After that fight, in the circle, he realized he was not strong enough to win. That man – Tooru's betrothed – had been fighting all day, he was tired, exhausted and yet he still won the fight. There was no cheating or anything that Hajime thought he had done incorrect, just that he was too weak. Too weak for Tooru. He knew that Tooru would usually be outside by now, scampering underneath the stars like a common peasant or even an animal. Despite his new-founded hate for the Southern way of living, he always liked the night sky. Yes, he hated insects or anything that was found outside but the Omega had always loved nature – always found himself within it. It made sense, his mother was a Southerner and she raised Tooru mostly outside. Away from the wet-nurses and the nannies she was recommended to use and away from his father. Hajime used to join them, his mother was just a servant and yet she remained to be a close friend of the Queen’s until she died. 

There was a soft call from an owl outside his window, causing him to look out. It truly was a beautiful night, there was no clouds and the stars reflected in the lake beside his room. He imagined Tooru sitting on a balcony, tracing the nature around him – stating that, ‘no Iwa-chan, I’m not that good at drawing’ when it was clear he was naturally skilled at it. To not have those moments again, for Tooru to be forced to spend them with someone else was something he had refused to prepare himself for. He regretted it now, obviously, letting himself get too attached to a Prince. And yet, he would not regret the times they spent together. They knew each other so well, too well for it to end so suddenly. 

He was asked, as Captain of the Guard, to attend the wedding – a ceremony that is to be done at the border between both Kingdoms. There was nothing to suggest that there would be an attack, as they had sent patrols out through the border and the Southern Kingdom benefitted more with the treaty than they did. He wanted to do anything but attend such a ceremony, to watch as Tooru was given away. A small yawn reminded Hajime that he was exhausted from the day, he blinked slowly and rested his head on his pillow. Before he fell asleep, the letter in his hand fell to the floor and he was too tired to go and lift it. 

Time seemed to go faster than usual in preparation for the wedding. Although it wasn’t being held in the Palace, there was still plenty of jobs for people to complete and enough to keep everyone busy. Tooru was already tired from hearing things about it, the tailor about his dress size, his mother about which jewelry he would want to wear or take with him. Surprisingly, as Hajime was ignoring him, his only relief was when his brother would constantly ask him to teach him how to shoot an arrow. The answer was always a ‘no’ but it was a nice change from the constant stream of questions about his marriage. A person who he avoided himself was Wakatoshi. At night, although he still wandered the Palace grounds, he made sure to steer clear of the areas in which Wakatoshi would go or had been seen before. During dinner, like before, he would ignore the frequent stares and eat silently – not wanting to speak to him at all. He knew, one day, this would be a painful process considering he would have to spend the rest of his miserable life with him and yet he could not bring himself to speak with him. Clearly Wakatoshi didn’t care too much as he was often happier staring than speaking. His messy-haired advisor mostly tried to speak to Tobio, clearly not sure if it would seem proper to speak to Tooru alone – something Tooru was glad of. 

The door was opened by the guards as he stepped out of his mother’s chambers, after breakfast, and into the hallway. It was a quick walk to his room and he headed there to get his sketchbook so he could continue sketching the Palace. It would seem it would be his only memoir of the place. His sandals padded against the floor, echoing against the mostly empty walls. It was this wing, something he was grateful for, that was always filled with beautiful art. Most were portraits of past rulers and their families but some were grand pictures of horrific events – portrayed in such a way. There were countless ones about war but also a few about the festivals that were celebrated here. Although Tooru had learned about the Southern traditions and spoke the Southern tongue, he was never taught the ways of the Southern people to such an extent. It was possibly due to his father’s hidden dislike of them but either way his mother kept that part of herself mostly secret. He stopped at his favourite painting; it was one that no one had ever explained the meaning to him before. Inside the painting, there was a woman – dressed in white – covered with flowers. Beside her was her mate, a tall Alpha with flowers in his head. The whole painting was possibly – from what Tooru had interpreted – their wedding but he never understood the importance of it. 

He heard a small huff from the end of the hallway making him face the direction to see Hajime, clutching onto his helmet and shuffling his feet slowly. Tooru offered him a small smile, gesturing for Hajime to come closer. He knew that his mother’s room was not too far away but that didn’t matter. They were just speaking. Hajime seemed to think on coming closer before he eventually did, walking towards Tooru before turning to face the painting also. Hajime’s eyes closed and he leant his head back, pondering on something. 

“Don’t think too hard, Iwa-chan, you’ll hurt your head.” The joke came out flat, neither in a teasing mood. Instead, Tooru looked back on the painting in front of him. “Do you like it?” 

“Yes.” Hajime said, his voice deeper than usual. Tooru didn’t look his way, scared of what he would see. “They are marrying out of love.” Tooru blinked, focusing more on the painting. In all his life he had never once wondered why they were marrying, just that they were. In front of him, he saw the woman – she was happy. 

“No.” Tooru argued, “it is hung in our hallway, they were important.” 

“So?” 

“So, they married for duty.” Once he had said it, the meaning dawned on him and he finally looked over to Hajime. They both stared at each other in silence. The distance between them was too far but they couldn’t get closer. They never could. Hajime nodded, clearly to himself before he took another step backwards. 

“I know.” Hajime said, he swallowed, still locking his eyes into Tooru’s own. The helmet in his hand was still pressed against his chest, his body tense. Before Tooru could say anything, Hajime began to walk past him. 

“Iwa-” Hajime turned around, halting whatever he was going to say. “I will miss you.” 

Hajime nodded. 

The wedding was a large event considering that it was near the border. A lot of the country people had assumed that it was for them, an accessible wedding for all, and so they all surrounded the area – cheering for the married couple. Tooru did his best to entertain them with his best smile and he even waved to a few children but inside he felt the brazen emotion of rage. The anger of not choosing who he could marry, the anger of not choosing anything about his marriage. The dress he wore was a tight one, entrapping him even more into the idea that he was no longer himself. He was now Tooru, Queen of the Southerners and Wife of Wakatoshi. He was an Ushijima. 

His mother – to his side – held onto his hand for most of the event, downing wine herself. Tobio played with the other children, away from both he and his husband. Tooru barely looked at his husband, scanning his eyes instead to look at Hajime. The Alpha was with the other guards but instead of drinking and laughing with them, he was stood staring at Tooru. He had never seen Hajime like this before. The man was always his rock, the one he could cry to. Now, neither of them could comfort each other. Wakatoshi poured more wine in his cup, drinking it before he cast a side look to Tooru. He handed Tooru his own goblet, filled with wine. 

“Drink.” He commanded and for once, Tooru listened. 

He drank until the people seemed a little hazy and the day seemed a little warmer. He drank until he actually found Wakatoshi’s advisor amusing and Tobio less aggravating. He drank until he could no longer look at Hajime’s face with the trace of guilt. He drank his wedding day away. It wasn’t until the evening, when he had become slightly clear-minded that he realized it was just family and close friends surrounding everyone now. Hajime had gone, left without Tooru realizing, without a goodbye. His mother stared at him; her face soft as she mouthed a silent one – leaving with the rest of Tooru’s family. His home. Even Tobio offered a small hug and for once, Tooru gave it. Now, he was left with his new family – his new home – his husband. 

There was a large fire in the middle, the heat radiating to where Tooru was sat, his face glowing a little in front of the light. The atmosphere was so different to the wedding, the people – some the same – but mostly different. The first thing Tooru noticed when he watched the other Omegas of the camp was that they wore little to nothing. This was a quality of their life that their own guards seemed particularly happy about, staring at the women and Omegas without a care. It seemed as if everything they did was without a care. He remembered that it was his wedding night only because of the random shifts the Alpha was doing beside him, reminding him of his presence. His Alpha. His husband. Without looking completely round, he turned his head slightly to the side and observed the other man. 

The eyes seemed to dance with the fire in front of them even though his facial expression was motionless. There was nothing extraordinary about his features and yet the presence of this Alpha was overwhelming. Maybe it was the wine speaking but Tooru knew he was married to a strong Alpha. It was obvious from the moment he met him. It did nothing to endear him towards him but enough for him to be curious. Finally, he felt brave enough to turn his head around – knowing already that the man had caught him staring. 

“Wakatoshi.” He drawled, picking at the bottom of his sleeve. 

“Yes?” The man asked, still not fully turned around. As if Tooru wasn’t worth his attention. With a tut of his lips, Tooru turned his head back around. “Would you like to go to bed?” At this point, Tooru didn’t know if the Alpha was guessing what he wanted or if he was insinuating that they finish the night but either way he felt his eyes droop and he knew he didn’t need to speak. Without warning, his arm was moved slightly upwards and he felt someone else's’ palm touch the lower part of his back. Another hand grasped the underside of his knee and Tooru felt himself being lifted into the air, slowly. He didn’t even care how he looked as Wakatoshi carried him to the tent, the wine was making his head drop backwards, rolling onto the air. 

It was getting uncomfortable. 

Wakatoshi lay him on the furs, watching him from his height before he took off his shirt – smiling down at Tooru. Without wanting to look shy, Tooru ducked his head between his arms and hid his red face at least a little. The man knelt down and began to lift his dress up and over his head, his hand hit his head slightly but apart from that he was gentle. The underdress he had to wear underneath was just white and it stuck to his body with sweat, possibly from the heat but mostly from the nerves. 

“It’s okay.” The Alpha spoke, his voice was deep and it seemed as though his hands vibrated on Tooru’s body. Despite the obvious intention, Tooru didn’t like being spoken to as if he was a child and so he covered his face even more and moved his body an inch away. “What’s wrong?” 

Tooru didn’t grace him with an answer. The man sighed, sitting back on his heels. “Would you rather I fucked you in a fancy bed?” Usually, in any other context that would have been taken as a joke. But not from this man, this serious, dull man. This time, Tooru threw his hands in the air to hoist himself to sit up straight, dragging his dress down to cover himself up even a little. 

“Are you joking?” He asked, his eyes only on the Alpha in front of him, watching to see if he’ll show any remorse for what he had just said, even after Tooru had warned him before. 

“What would I be joking about?” Tooru let out a shocked laugh at that one. “You said it before, you didn’t want to marry a savage.” 

“And I stand by that!” Tooru whispered loudly, his left hand now clenching fully whilst his other kept his dress down to his knees. The inside of the tent had become so much warmer and the scents mixing seemed to add on to the heat of the argument, the annoyance. “You are so stupid, always droning on about how savages are so much better than we are. You don’t even know how to hold a conversation!” 

“What has that got to do with survival?” It wasn’t the question that annoyed Tooru this time, nor even the tone. It was the fact that it was genuine. The man was never going to understand if he didn’t understand now. 

“Leave it.” Tooru snapped, not caring that his voice was louder than it should be. There were still drunken people singing and cheering in the near distance so it would be hard be heard if they were shouting anyway. “I-I’m going to bed.” With that comment, he flipped himself away from Wakatoshi – ignoring the fact that the man could _take_ him anyway. 

This was not how he imagined his wedding night, he thought as Wakatoshi lay down behind him. There was enough space between them that it was a comfortable distance and that they could both lay on the furs. It was too much space for a married couple. Even though he knew his marriage would be political, he never thought he’d end up on the floor next to a giant man who didn’t know how to speak to other humans. Maybe mother was right and the savages never did evolve properly from wolves, they still turned now and then in the moons – didn’t they? Without turning his head, Tooru managed to shift a little and catch a glimpse of the oaf beside him. He seemed already asleep, although that could be an act, and breathing heavily. 

He hated him. He hated everything about this man’s life, his life now. 

At least he didn’t touch him. 

They didn’t touch each other that night, at all. 


	2. Medic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a reminder of first names if you are not sure. 
> 
> Tooru - Oikawa  
> Wakatoshi - Ushijima  
> Tetsurou - Kuroo  
> Koushi - Sugawara  
> Hajime - Iwaizumi  
> Shigeru - Yahaba

Hunting was an enjoyable sport, clearly, for his Alpha. The statement was clear because he did it every day. Instead of catching enough for two days or perhaps a week, if they ate smartly, the Alpha’s of the group went to hunt daily. Sometimes an Omega would join them, something Tooru admired from a distance but never got too close to. He hunted in his own time when he was in the Eastern Palace, not for necessity but rather sport. Now, he wouldn’t dare spend more time with his husband than he needed to. Although it was irritating to see his smug face when he brought home goat, ox or duck meat, the day went quicker when he wasn’t around. 

It gave him time to assess the campsite, the area not too unusual to Tooru as he had travelled to the Western Kingdom from time to time. Yet, it was slightly different to some of the campsites he had been in before, most notably the closeness of the tents. Beforehand, Tooru’s tent would be distant from the others to assert his status, however his and Wakatoshi’s tent remained mingled with the others, barely noticeable. At first, he had hated it, another reminder that despite becoming a Queen, he had dropped noticeably downwards from his prior roles. However, now, it was easier to bear due to the invisibility it gave him sometimes when he decided to disappear into his tent rather than dine with the rest of the camp. In the middle of the tents, there was a large fire – made bigger at the night – which allowed them to cook over it, feast and use it as a common lounge area for lazy afternoons. Within each tent, there was also a small fire to provide enough heat for everyone, but it never seemed as hot as the one outside. Currently, Tooru sat facing the fire, letting the heat dry his hair from his morning wash. 

An Omega with short brown hair was staring at him from across the campsite, their face mostly unreadable. Instead of approaching them, Tooru waited until they were brave enough to move towards him. When they got closer, he remembered the name ‘Yahaba Shigeru’ from Wakatoshi’s briefing just after their wedding day. 

“Hello.” The Omega smiled politely but Tooru saw straight through it, “I was wondering if you would like to join us in making the dinner today.” 

“Why?” Tooru asked, it seemed absurd to ask a royal member to cook for the camp – even if they were also sleeping in tents. Shigeru seemed put off by the reaction but otherwise his expression remained stoic, as if he was purposefully trying to be unreadable. 

“All the people cook.” Shigeru answered, “it is custom here.” 

“I see.” Tooru hums, “well, does Wakatoshi-kun cook as well?” Shigeru’s entire face changed for a second before he returned it back to what it was, calm. 

“He hunts.” Shigeru seemed content that his reply was answer enough. “If you do not wish to cook, you do not wish to cook.” 

Tooru thought about it for a little. It was clear the little brat was goading him on or that it was some sort of test. In all honesty, he could cook pretty well – something they wouldn’t expect as he was from a Palace. He was also bored doing an endless list of nothing daily, laying around and watching the half-naked people he had been married into. 

“Fine.” Tooru sighed, as if it was the worst thing he could do. Shigeru nodded slowly, as if he was now unsure of himself. Perhaps the other Omega hadn’t expected him to say yes, Tooru observed. The other Omegas at the camp glanced over at them at different times almost making Tooru scoff at the childishness of it all. 

He followed Shigeru to the large fire in the middle of the camp, ignoring the stares from the other people – mostly Omegas. He had wondered, when he joined, why there were other members of the camp that were not part of the counsel but Wakatoshi explained that everyone in this camp had been trained for battle or security. All would die for the crown. That part he said, displeased, but aside from that he seemed proud of the other members of the camp. 

There was some leftover meat from yesterday, surprisingly, and Tooru realized he could begin the meal and add more meat into it afterwards, if he needed to. Perhaps a simple broth would do. In their last trade, they had gathered some rice – another simple thing to cook. He knew just what to make. 

The day went a lot quicker today due to Tooru spending his time cooking, not that he would admit it to Shigeru. The Hayashi rice was finished by around four o’clock in the afternoon, meaning that the meat could be added just before it was served when the Alpha’s came back with it. It didn’t have as many spices as he would have preferred, considering the lack of flavoring these foods had and yet he liked the smell of it. It was also incredibly fresh; unlike the food he was used to. 

There was no certain time the Alpha’s came home which meant that there was some time spent lazing around waiting for them. The other days, the time was always slow due to the list of duties that Tooru no longer had. However, the time spent waiting for the hunting Alphas to come home felt longer than usual. Perhaps because he couldn’t wait to show that he had cooked. Not that he cared for their opinion. Just his own gratification that he had proven them wrong. Throughout the day, the Omegas had made soft remarks about their surprise that a Palace Prince could cook so well. Therefore, all that was left was to prove to his husband that Palace Princes could do more than lay in bed and backbite in Court. 

Unlike the other days, they smelt the group of Alphas before they heard them, an unusual smell permeated around them. It wasn’t until they got closer that Tooru could distinguish what it meant – panic. 

Omegas seemed to swarm instantly, surrounding the oncoming group of Alphas to find out why they were distressed. 

Finally, there was a shout. 

“Medic!” It was Tetsurou, Tooru could see, he was injured. Tooru wasn’t sure which Alpha was yelling but he could tell that they were scared, worried. “Sugawara!” 

Omegas parted as Koushi ran towards the herd of Alpha’s, towards Tetsurou. Tooru watched from a distance, unsure of what he should do. It was only when he saw his husband, slightly hunched over, that he knew he should go to him. Wakatoshi stared as Tooru walked towards him slowly, the Alphas thankfully moving out of his way respectfully. 

Everyone seemed to ignore them, shuffling past them and focusing on Tetsurou on the floor. Koushi was quick to order the Alpha’s into carrying Tetsurou into a tent, away from the crowd and into a cleaner area. Tooru admired that about Koushi, out of all the other Omegas – aside from those who hunted sometimes – he seemed the most domineering. This was a trait that most Court Omegas had to hide, something Tooru got used to. 

“Are you hurt?” Tooru asked, allowing some worry to seep into his voice. Wakatoshi didn’t show any emotion but he offered a small glance to Tooru, showing he was listening. Even still, Tooru found himself comparing his husband to Hajime. The gruff exterior to hide their actual vulnerability was true for both of them, meaning Tooru could read him slightly better. However, it was harder to see – within Wakatoshi’s eyes – if he was actually hurt or not. 

“Slightly.” Wakatoshi answered, his usual monotone voice irritating Tooru. How was it that he still managed to show emotion whilst hurt? “It was a bear. Tetsurou got the worst of it but I managed to fight it off.” Tooru looked up at the comment, his eyes widened in surprise. Not only that his husband offered the information without him draining it from him but that his husband had fought off a bear and didn’t seem to care much about it. 

“Is-Is he going to be okay?” 

“Sugawara is a skilled medic, Tetsurou will be fine.” Tooru noticed how he used Tetsurou’s first name. They were friends. It was also at this moment that he remembered that Tetsurou, from the look of the black messy hair, was the advisor who had accompanied Wakatoshi to the Palace meetings and dinners. “Let’s go to our tent.” 

“Are you sure you don’t need to be checked over by somebody?” Tooru scanned his eyes over his husbands' body. When he glanced back up again, Wakatoshi was staring at him in such a way that was still unreadable. “You only have minor wounds; I suppose I could...” Tooru trailed off a little, unsure of what to do under Wakatoshi’s stare. 

“Tent.” The Alpha grunted, as if he could only speak one word right now. Perhaps he was elsewhere in his mind, thinking about Tetsurou. Perhaps he was still adrenalized from the hunt and an attack from a bear. The point was, this was the one person that Tooru could not read. 

They both moved in sync towards their tent, not speaking to one another. From here, Tooru could still hear Koushi barking orders from his ‘medic’ tent. He wasn’t sure what sort of medicine they had here and if it would be as effective as the medicine Tooru was used to but Koushi seemed sure of himself. Everyone, despite their worry, seemed at ease when Tetsurou entered the tent. It was as if they knew he would be healed instantaneously. Tooru had seen the marks and, although he had never seen a bear – neither attacked by one, he would assume the effects could have been worse on Tetsurou’s body. He was lucky. 

The tent’s door flap was whipped open by Wakatoshi’s left hand, keeping it open whilst Tooru entered the tent first. It was the largest tent of the campsite, something Tooru was happy about, which meant it had plenty of room for fur blankets and cushions in the middle. 

There was a water basin at the side, with a small cloth which Tooru went to quickly grab. Wakatoshi always kept bandages and white cloths at the back of the tent and now Tooru knew why. It also meant that his husband was injured often, not surprising from the scars that covered his body – only seen through stolen glances when they both changed in the morning. Once he had gathered all the things he needed, he turned around and saw Wakatoshi staring at him once more. 

“You are worried.” Wakatoshi stated. Tooru glanced down at his own hands, shaking so a little water dripped on his wrist. “I am fine.” 

“I have never heard of a bear attack before. Not that anyone can survive it. And you are- _seem_ fine.” 

“So, you are not worried, you are scared.” Wakatoshi said aloud, though it mostly looked as if he was talking to himself. “Of me.” 

“I’m not scared.” Tooru snapped, surprising his husband with the sudden change in tone. “Sit down and take off your shirt.” 

Wakatoshi, surprisingly, did as he was told as quickly as Tooru had told him to do it. His brown shirt, strained a little with either his or Tetsurou’s blood, was discarded over Tooru’s head. The Omega walked over towards him slowly, placing the water basin beside Wakatoshi’s right ankle. Before he sat down himself, he circled around Wakatoshi to assess the damage done to the Alpha’s body. There were only a few red scratches on the front of Wakatoshi’s back, Tooru observed as he walked around him, but his front was marked with dark bruising and a gash on his arm. The injuries, though not perfect, did not seem like he was attacked by a bear. Maybe another Alpha. Not an animal. 

“You-you are mostly okay.” Tooru was only half-surprised. After seeing this man within the Circle of Fights, it was clear he was a brutal fighter. Still, a fight with Alphas and a fight with a bear were two separate battles. 

“Yes.” Wakatoshi, though his face didn’t change expression, seemed pleased with himself. “I have fought bears before. I was also lucky; the bear wasn’t a full grown one.” 

“ _Lucky_.” Tooru repeated, still in shock. “Do bears attack the campsite?” Tooru has never seen a bear before, the image of one – told mostly from stories – terrifies him though. 

“No. They never have.” Wakatoshi assured him. Finally, Tooru stepped closer towards his husband, placing the cloth along the gash. The water, as it was cleansing water changed every day, was lightly salted, cleaning the wound properly. 

“Tomorrow you should get this checked by Koushi. I helped the medic at the Palace only sometimes, I am only cleaning it today so there is no infection overnight but I don’t know if-” 

“I will. I will go tomorrow.” Wakatoshi promised, halting his panicked speech. He didn’t particularly like his husband but that did not mean he wanted him dead. Tooru was also right in his assumption that Wakatoshi didn’t want Koushi to look over him now due to Tetsurou. Though the royal should be more important, Tetsurou is in critical condition. Just the instant promise that he would go tomorrow instead of tonight was enough to tell Tooru so. 

Tooru cleaned the gash and bandaged it. Once he looked at the bruising again, he ran to his own bag and brought out some ointment. Wakatoshi stared at it a little before he nodded, giving Tooru permission to rub it along his bruised torso. 

“It smells strange.” 

“It is Omegan ointment. It soothes pain, though.” Tooru explained as his rubbed his fingers into the ointment before placing them on Wakatoshi’s darkened skin. The skin was warmed slightly here, more so than around the gash, almost as if he had been burned. There was obvious strength, however, here. When he pressed down a little, he could feel the hardness of the tense muscles, proving that Wakatoshi was still strong. 

“Why do you have this ointment?” 

“My mother gave it to me for...” Tooru stopped himself from continuing but he felt Wakatoshi tense. Perhaps he had said too much. 

“She thought that because I was a savage, I would be rough.” Wakatoshi assumed correctly, his scent thickening around the tent. 

“No. It has nothing to do with you being a savage.” Tooru didn’t bother to correct the term. The man fought bears; he _was_ a savage. “It is because you are an Alpha. Not that this should come as a surprise to you but my father wasn’t the kindest man.” 

“I see.” Wakatoshi’s scent calmed down but he placed a hand on Tooru’s forearm. The gesture, something Hajime used to do after he would tease Tooru, was supposed to be a gentle one but it didn’t feel like it. It felt forced. 

“Don’t do that.” 

“Do what?” 

“Pretend to care.” Tooru replied quickly, “the ointment is on and you are bandaged.” With that comment, he distanced himself from the Alpha. 

“I am not pretending. You are my wife and soon to be my mate.” Wakatoshi stated. “Whether we married out of love or responsibility it is my duty to care.” Tooru thought on the statement before he nodded slowly, not knowing what else to do. 

When Wakatoshi stood, Tooru wasn’t far enough yet meaning his broad chest collided with him slightly causing him to fall inelegantly onto the cushions beneath him. He stared up to glare at Wakatoshi, his face red with the embarrassment. The Alpha looked down at him, his face unreadable once more. Before Tooru helped himself up, Wakatoshi grabbed his elbows and hoisted him up. There was a slight height difference between the two of them, highlighted more due to the hunching Tooru was doing to avoid Wakatoshi’s hard gaze. 

Wakatoshi’s hand moved from Tooru’s forearm to his wrist, circling his thumb round and grasping it gently. It seemed odd, Tooru thought, that with the events of the day, the Alpha would still be thinking with his cock. However, his mother had warned him that was what Alphas were like, always hungry for a hole. Perhaps the adrenaline from fighting a bear kickstarted a small rut or he still had energy he needed rid of. 

Without speaking, Wakatoshi wrapped his left arm around Tooru’s back pulling him closer to his body so that he could lean down and scent the neck of the Omega. There was a small moment in which Tooru could only hear the thrumming of his heart and he could only feel the breath of the Alpha against his cheek and neck. It wasn’t as if he had never been scented before, just never in this circumstance or in this way. Growing up, Tooru had gotten used to being taller than the people he surrounded himself with, even Hajime was shorter than him. It was one of the things he hadn’t gotten used to at the campsite yet. 

A shout halted both of them and they both turned their heads aside to look outside at the shadows. Almost immediately, Wakatoshi went stiff – worrying for Tetsurou – but he didn’t move until someone scratched against the tent almost as if they were knocking against it. Wakatoshi gently pushed Tooru to the side and walked towards the flap, hoisting it open. 

Outside stood Keiji, a pretty Omega that Tooru had noticed when he first observed everyone in the campsite. Instead of the usual stoic look Keiji wore, he seemed worried – only by the slight raise in his brows and the redness in his swollen cheeks. It looked as if he had cried for three days straight. Tooru turned his attention away from Keiji towards his husband, Wakatoshi, who seemed to be communicating with Keiji through his eyes. 

“Is he-” Wakatoshi started, gulping a little. As unfortunate as it was, Tooru was glad to see that his husband had the capability for emotion. Even if it was subtle. 

“He is alive.” Keiji answered, his voice not portraying the clear worry his eyes were showing. “For now. Koushi asked for you.” Wakatoshi nodded, turning around to face Tooru. 

This was unknown territory for Tooru. Either he went to support his husband or he bid him goodnight. He didn’t know which one Wakatoshi wanted him to state, the man was too hard to read. From the subtle glance he gave Keiji and the expectant look on his face, he assumed he must go with Wakatoshi. A Queen, whether a savage or not, must always see their hurt people and help them as best they can, a lesson his mother taught him often. Wakatoshi watched as Tooru stepped forwards, grabbing onto the Alpha’s arm and stared straight ahead. 

Keiji walked behind them, as with proper respect for the royals but Tooru also assumed it was due to the fact that he was crying a little. Tooru didn’t look behind himself in order to give Keiji privacy but he could hear the heavy breathing. It was strange, Tooru thought, to be surrounded by impassive people who were only just now displaying emotion. Tetsurou must have been an important Alpha, to elicit such a reaction from others. Tooru would have liked to have met him properly. A sudden shift in the arm he was grasping onto caught his attention and he looked up at Wakatoshi once more. The Alpha had a pinched expression, his eyebrows close to his eyes and his mouth thinned into one single line. 

Instead of speaking, as he usually did not know what to say to this man, Tooru did his best to emit a calm scent. As they were not mated yet, Tooru couldn’t properly express himself through his scent to Wakatoshi but Omegas could always release a calming scent for Alphas. They could also purr if needed, however, Tooru had only purred twice in his life. Both times were for Hajime. Once, when Hajime’s mother died and the second when Hajime nearly died himself after protecting Tooru’s father. 

“You can stay outside if you would like.” Wakatoshi told him when they waited outside the tent. Keiji bypassed them and entered the tent, surprising Tooru with the hastiness of the action. It did not make sense for him to stay outside whilst Wakatoshi said his goodbye to his friend but on the other hand perhaps Wakatoshi needed his privacy. 

“I will go with you.” Tooru decided, clinging onto the arm he was still holding, tighter. A wife, Tooru supposed, was meant to help with this situation, be the support. However, in this circumstance, when one does not marry for love, Tooru does not know the man enough to offer anything. Despite how Hajime used to joke, Tooru was not evil and whether he hated his husband’s aloofness or not, he could not sit idle whilst his husband mourned his friend. 

They entered the tent together and the first smell that almost made Tooru double over was the smell of blood. It filled the tent up completely with its scent and when Tooru finally managed to open his eyes without them watering, he noticed that the color of the blood covered the tent also. It seemed as though Tetsurou was being held down, suggesting that beforehand he was struggling due to the pain - explaining how the blood got everywhere. 

Koushi, Tooru observed, lifted his head up from beneath the table with many glass tubes. The Omega wiped the sweat and a little blood from his forehead with the back of his wrist, breathing into the back of his hand hard. 

“Wakatoshi.” Koushi said, his voice shaky. Tooru didn’t have time to be annoyed that Koushi referred to his husband by his first name and without an honorific. “I don’t know what to do.” 

From what Tooru had seen before, Tetsurou looked a lot worse now. Perhaps they had been treating him wrong, due to the clear reaction his skin has had to whatever balm they put on it. Tooru examined the room and found various kinds of herbs scattered around the table. 

“He’s allergic.” Tooru said aloud, not knowing he did so until Koushi asked him what he said again. “I mean, he’s allergic. His skin is reacting to whatever you put on him.” 

“I know what allergic means.” Koushi snapped, shocking Tooru. Everyone seemed to freeze at this, including Koushi. However, he did not apologize. 

“Koushi.” Wakatoshi warned, his voice deeper than its usual tone. “Tooru, continue.” Tooru didn’t have anything much else to say apart from the fact that he had seen the medic at his Palace sort out an allergic reaction for Tobio. 

“Do you know what he is allergic to?” Tooru asked, “if we stop the reaction, we can decrease the risk of infection and he’ll survive.” With this comment, he stepped forwards towards the body on the table. He couldn’t help but wince at the sight and thank the Gods that Tetsurou was unconscious so he did not have to deal with the pain. Was their usual medicinal route to throw herbs at people and heal them like that? 

“No.” Koushi seemed annoyed but Tooru did not care to comment on it at the moment. “But we only put that mix on him.” He gestured towards a broken tube against the table. Beside that was a bowl filled with uncrushed plants, the same plants that would have been used for the substance they created. 

Tooru could feel the eyes on him as he approached the bowl, looking inside it to see if he could recognize anything that was out of the ordinary. Everything seemed to fit into the mixture aside from the - “Is that Yucca?” 

“Yes. It can stop inflammation.” Koushi stated, his voice slightly unsure. 

“Yes, but it can also release toxins. There seems to be a lot in here.” Tooru whipped his head around to look at Tetsurou. The Alpha was still unconscious but was moving his head a little in his sleep and groaning in pain. Tooru, from the look of the body, assumed that the Yucca plant hadn’t actually affected the body yet with its toxins but the needles of the plant had possibly embedded themselves within the skin, making him look a lot worse than he did. However, there was still a lot of blood. 

Even still, Tooru couldn’t see anything with the body in this state. “We need to clean him before I do anything.” 

“Before you do anything?” Koushi asked, his tone as off as his posture. Who spoke to a royal like this repeatedly? 

“Yes. It may come as a shock to you but I know how to fix this mistake you made.” Tooru bit, slightly harsher than he intended. He honestly did not want to dislike Koushi and he understood that it was a hard time for them all but that would never excuse insubordination. If he didn’t deal with it now, he assumed they’d all speak to him like that. He would not be moved down the chain due to his marriage with a savage, he was still royal. 

As they cleaned Tetsurou’s body, with the cloths they had, he turned his head to look at Wakatoshi. Instead of looking at his friend, the Alpha’s eyes were trained on him, staring as though he had nothing else to look at. Tooru felt embarrassed under the undistracted gaze and turned his head back around, ignoring the way he could still feel the eyes burning into the back of his head. 

Cleaning the body meant that Tetsurou looked better off anyway, pleasing Tooru. The Alpha wasn’t critical, just very injured – worsened by the terrible procedure they had here. It made Tooru scared for if he ever got injured. However, by the look on Koushi’s face, he could tell this was a mistake for them. Inexcusable, if Tetsurou would have died. 

“Okay. Do you have anything I can pull the Yucca’s needles out with?” Tooru asked, facing Koushi as he was the one in charge. Koushi seemed to have calmed down from his previous demeanor, staring at Tooru for a second longer than he should have before he scanned his eyes on the table. Once found, he placed a pair of metal strips, welded together, into his hand. Tooru grasped onto it tightly and walked even closer to Tetsurou. 

The first needle was easy to find and obtain, so was the second, the third, the fourth and even the tenth. It was when he got to twenty that he started to see double vision and twenty-five when he gave the job to Koushi. It seemed as though it took hours until all the needles were out and it wouldn’t have surprised Tooru if it had actually been that long. All that was left inside the tent was Koushi’s two helpers, both of which Tooru did not know their names, Wakatoshi, Koushi and Keiji. The smell of blood seemed to have diminished, or perhaps Tooru had gotten used to it, and Tetsurou – despite his marked skin – already was starting to look better. 

It was clearly the panic that got the better of Koushi’s judgement but even still, Tooru was surprised that it was an easy fix to improve Tetsurou’s condition. In a way, it was better this way. Tooru had been married for only a couple of days and had already saved one of his people. He had also, in doing this, asserted his dominance over the other Omegas and hopefully his usefulness within camp. 

“He just needs stitches now.” 

“I’ll do them.” Koushi stated, placing the meddled metal strips down and wiping his hands. “Thank you so much, Tooru-kun.” Tooru flinched at the use of his name but decided against speaking out against it. 

“It’s no big deal.” 

“It is.” Koushi assured him. “Tetsurou would have died, not from a bear attack but from a stupid careless mistake I did whilst panicking. The toxins...” 

“Are out now.” Tooru smiled, holding onto Koushi’s hand a little. Despite the tension between them before, Koushi was definitely someone Tooru would want to be allies with and so he played nice, caring. “He’ll be fine. I cannot wait to speak to the man who survived a bear attack.” 

“Well, your husband _fought_ the bear – Tooru-kun.” Koushi smiled, nodding his head over to Wakatoshi. “Barely hurt from it, as well.” 

Tooru didn’t know what to say and so he didn’t speak. Instead he let Koushi pull apart and focus on Tetsurou again and watched as Keiji bowed to him before leaving. In this time, Wakatoshi took the opportunity to walk towards him, slowly but boldly. 

“Let’s go back to our tent.” Wakatoshi whispered, though everyone must have heard it anyway. “I am tired and I am sure you are too.” 

“Looks like we are both heroes today.” Tooru teased as they stepped out the tent, watching his husband’s reaction. “How do you feel that I-” 

“You saved my friend’s life today.” Wakatoshi interrupted, quite rudely if Tooru had anything to say about it. Luckily for Wakatoshi, Tooru didn’t bother to say anything, instead content with staring at his husband. “Thank you.” 

Tooru, again, had nothing to say. 

The next week or so, there were fewer hunting trips perhaps due to Tetsurou’s injury but also due to Wakatoshi not leading the hunts. When the Alpha chose to stay at the campsite, the other Alpha’s tended to do the same allowing Tooru to believe that they did not enjoy hunting as much as his husband. Wakatoshi’s presence around the campsite was not as uncomfortable as Tooru would admit but it was still awkward. Despite the fact that there was less tension between them, neither of them bothered to try and amend prior arguments and so they mostly sat in silence or spoke with other people. Well, Wakatoshi spoke with other people – Tooru kept to himself, still a newcomer. It was when he was sketching alone, by their tent, that he grew more homesick and wished he was allowed to have brought company with him, even one handmaiden would have been a friendly face. 

Koushi, wearing his usual short fur dress-top, walked towards Tooru – a bowl of hot soup in his hand. Before he sat down, he made sure Tooru took it, plopping himself beside the other Omega. Tooru looked into the bowl, it was filled with various kinds of vegetables and no meat – surprising considering the amount they all ate at the campsite. He assumed that it was due to his husband’s sudden lack of hunting trips. 

“So, you can cook well and you are medically trained.” Koushi stated, his voice light. “I mean no offence when I say this, I didn’t realize Court Omegas were taught so much.” 

“My mother was a Southerner, she believed that I should learn to look after myself if the time ever came for that.” Koushi nodded at the information, “besides Court Omegas do other things other than waiting on their husbands.” 

“I didn’t mean that.” Koushi laughed, “I just meant that it didn’t make sense to me that a Court Omega would be medically trained when there was a medic on sight. Here, it is different. Not everyone here is medically trained, only the medic.” 

“You.” Koushi paused at Tooru’s disbelief. “You are not the medic? Everyone seemed sure of your abilities.” At this comment, both Omegas turned so that they were both looking at each other. The soup in Tooru’s hands, warmed his palms reminding him to eat otherwise it would be considered rude. 

“I was trained only by my father – he was the medic.” Tooru nodded slowly. “He died last year. It is why I am not too sure about the certain things such as; the amount of toxins that are allowed on the body.” Tooru laughed a little at this. 

“You are still learning.” He gathered and watched as Koushi nodded. It seemed odd to have an untrained medic as the only help here but Tooru supposed that, with all their reactions, Koushi was being humble. Yes, he was not perfect but he still knew more than enough. “Well, I wouldn’t mind to learn alongside you, I do get bored sometimes.” 

“Bored? You’re the Queen.” Koushi seemed shocked by this but Tooru could not tell if he was mocking him or not. 

“So? I don’t have tasks to complete. Wakatoshi seems content with doing everything himself.” After he spoke, he winced at his own tone. Koushi did not seem to mind – however. 

“Wakatoshi-kun has been alone since he was young due to his parent's death.” Koushi explained, “he’s probably forgotten he needs to share his duties.” Although his manner of speaking would have had him whipped in Palace Courts, Tooru was glad that he had Koushi, who was honest, to speak to. “I would gladly be your mentor, though. Although, I suspect you’d be my mentor just as much as I, yours.” Tooru nodded, taking the compliment. 

“What else do the Omegas do here? I always see them wonder off but not sure if it is proper for me to follow.” Koushi stared at him for a moment before he laughed once more, Tooru didn’t like it this time. 

“You can do whatever you want, Tooru-kun.” Again, first name basis. It was odd, none of them here treated Tooru or Wakatoshi like royalty. “I’m sure they would love to get to know you.” 

“Huh.” 

“Mostly, they bathe. But there is also a town nearby where they mull around and flirt with the soldiers there.” Town nearby? So Southern people were civilized, it was just their royalty who decided to scamper about and camp. Koushi seemed to have read his mind, his expression going sour for a moment. “Most Southerners camp like us, travelling to obtain money and more. However, there are some towns and there is the city, in which our Palace resides. We are travelling there currently.” 

“We are travelling?” Tooru asked, they hadn’t moved the camp since Tooru had joined them. 

“Yes, by the end of the week.” Koushi seemed hesitant at this. “Wakatoshi-kun didn’t tell you?” 

“No, why would he? I’m _only_ Queen.” Koushi nodded solemnly at this, seemingly understanding Tooru’s frustration. 

“He’s grateful.” Koushi stated after a while, his voice not as light as previously. “For what you did, saving Tetsurou.” 

“I know.” Tooru hummed, that was one thing his husband had communicated. Once, yes. But still, he had stated it. “As is everyone, I presume. He is clearly respected.” 

“Yes, he is a respected advisor.” Tooru remembered once more seeing Tetsurou in the Palace, always with Wakatoshi. Koushi looked at towards the ground, looking as though he was bracing himself before he looked back at Tooru. “Forgive me for asking this, but, if your mother was a Southerner and you have learned the ways of the Southern people – why do you hate us so?” 

Tooru huffed, annoyed with the question. It was as though his husband flaunted their argument’s openly and everyone here assumed that Tooru despised them. “I don’t hate Southerners.” 

“Ah.” Koushi smiled. “You just think we are beneath you.” 

“Excuse me?” Tooru asked, his eyes narrowing. He had excused the improperness before but this was Koushi stepping over a boundary. His voice clearly attracted some attention because he felt his husband’s eyes on him at the other side of the camp, boring into his skin. He did not look over his direction, however, keeping his eyes trained on Koushi. The Omega, stupidly, did not look ashamed and did not pretend to – levelling Tooru with the same look. “Do not speak to me like that.” 

“I am merely asking a question.” Koushi shrugged, playing it off as a misunderstanding. “I assumed; from the constant glares we receive that you disliked us. Forgive me, I was wrong.” 

“You were.” Tooru hissed, “incredibly wrong. Even more so to bring up your own issue in front of a Queen, like this.” 

“In the Southern Kingdom, we are honest with the royalty – to prevent further issues.” Tooru felt the urge to attack the Omega in front of him, at least pulling some of his grey hair out. However, he would fight him not like a savage but like a Court Omega. 

“In the Eastern Kingdom, we hired medical trainers who helped the sick – not kill them.” Koushi’s face flickered a little, making Tooru smile a little. He almost felt bad but Koushi had stepped out of line and therefore he pushed him back. Koushi nodded, standing up and bowing before he went with the other Omegas, busying himself. At least, Tooru thought, neither of them had raised their voices too loud – the only people who had seen the small fight was Wakatoshi, from what Tooru had seen. His husband, as always, seemed displeased with him. The sight bored Tooru so he too found himself standing up, going inside his tent. 

In the evening, he did not bother to come outside and dine with the rest of them. Despite the smell of the food and the sound of the laughter, he found himself more comforted with the pillows and furs rather than the cold outside. After a while, once the laughter had died down, he saw the figure of his husband appear outside, standing there for a short while before coming in. With him, he held two bowls of steaming food, one of which he clung to his chest and the other he held out to Tooru. 

“I did not eat.” Wakatoshi told him. Tooru felt weird, knowing that Wakatoshi did not eat without him, choosing to bring it here to eat with him. He had assumed that his husband would have forced him to starve as he had locked himself in the tent. “Koushi spoke with me.” 

“Of course, he did.” Tooru muttered. “I will go and apologize tomorrow.” Tooru didn’t want any arguments today, choosing the option that would less likely cause one. 

“Why would you apologize?” Wakatoshi scrunched his brows together, confusing Tooru. Usually, if Tooru had insulted another person, no matter the reason, his father would have ordered him to apologize. “Were you in the wrong?” 

“No.” Tooru pursed his lips, watching his husband carefully. 

“Then why would you apologize?” It was a long minute before Tooru realized Wakatoshi wanted him to answer. 

“To avoid another fight.” Tooru explained dumbly. Saying it aloud made even less sense but it was a lesson his father had engrained into him. 

“You never apologize to me.” Tooru supposed that was true. Although, it wasn’t as though the both of them hadn’t moved on from their arguments – choosing to ignore it mutually. “Fights are a good way to be honest. Honesty makes us stronger.” 

“How wise.” Tooru picked up the spoon, finally and blew into it to cool down the stew. Once satisfied, he placed it into his mouth and chewed mindlessly into the shredded meat. Wakatoshi, almost immediately, did the same. 

“You are similar to my mother.” Wakatoshi said after a few mouthfuls, his voice lowering – something Tooru had deemed impossible. His eyes were cast down, clearly saddened with the reminder. “She often thought that one had to hide their true thoughts in order to obtain a good court. Otherwise, there would always be disagreements and never any progress.” Tooru ate as he listened. “However, I do not believe that is true.” 

“Why not?” Tooru asked. The logic was completely different from what he was taught from a young age. It seemed childish to state that fights were a good form of communication. 

“Do you regret anything you have said to me?” No, Tooru thought, but then again, he had still kept certain things to himself. 

“No.” He answered, easily. “It was all truthful.” 

“Precisely.” Wakatoshi hummed, putting another spoon to his mouth. He waited to swallow the contents before speaking again. At least he didn’t eat like a savage, either. “It is one of the reasons I admire you, you speak your mind. At least, to me.” Tooru’s mind halted. Admire? 

He knew he mostly spoke his mind to Wakatoshi but that was only because the Alpha had always irritated him enough to do so. There was nothing philosophical about it, nothing to do with building their relationship. Yet, as he watched Wakatoshi focus on his food once more, he realized the logic of it. However, he didn’t want to speak more on the topic. He ate the rest of his food quickly, suddenly tired. 

“Thank you, for eating with me.” He said after a while. Wakatoshi looked up, offering him one of his rare small smiles before eating his own bowl once more. 

After that, Tooru still avoided Koushi, unsure as to how much Wakatoshi’s philosophy actually worked within the camp. To his surprise, Koushi didn’t attempt to follow him around or try and speak with him – something Tooru wasn’t sure he was too happy about. Wakatoshi sat beside him two days after the spat at breakfast, handing Tooru various fruits as though he was a child. Tooru, too bored and tired to argue with the one person he spoke with, allowed him to do so –picking which ones he liked and feeding himself. It seemed as though, from Koushi’s perspective, that it was the best time to approach Tooru. He watched as the Omega walked towards him, holding a bowl filled with grapes. The other Omega sat in front of him, handing him the bowl with a small smile. 

“Allow me to give this to you.” Koushi said, his voice sickly sweet. Perhaps he was putting on a show. Despite the brashness of Koushi – he covered up his deceit well, which would have done him well if he was Court Omega. Or, Tooru was reading it incorrectly. 

“Thank you.” Tooru accepted politely, he offered some to Wakatoshi beside him who plucked some out from the bowl. 

“My apology gift is not far from here.” Koushi stated, that same smile still stuck to his face. He gestured over to behind him, pointing near to where his tent was. Tooru glanced over, seeing that a few people were watching now. 

“Apology gift?” Tooru asked, eyeing Wakatoshi. The Alpha, if he did see the look, ignored it – still staring at the tent. Tooru huffed, moving to get up and follow Koushi but Wakatoshi grabbed him arm, preventing him from doing so. “What?” 

“Koushi, bring it here.” Wakatoshi commanded. Koushi did not hide his surprise well causing Tooru to smile. When Wakatoshi saw this, he sighed. “What is it?” 

“I didn’t know you commanded them, I thought you treated them as equal.” 

“Nearly equal.” Wakatoshi stated, his expression changing minutely. “I am still royalty. Besides, this was a something I had given Koushi beforehand, my mother had carved it.” 

“So, he’s giving me his gift from you?” Tooru deduced, slightly disappointed. 

“No. It was for you; my mother had carved it for my future bride.” Tooru did not understand. “After the wedding night, I thought it be better that Koushi give it instead. I didn’t predict that you would disagree with him also.” 

Tooru opened his mouth to protest but noticed that Wakatoshi’s mouth twitched, the man was teasing. “Well, he took his time giving it to me.” 

“I wouldn’t give gifts to someone I was unsure about.” Wakatoshi stated, “and now that he is giving it in front of everyone, they will see that he does like you.” Tooru found it hard to believe that Koushi genuinely liked him from the conversations they had, had so far and yet he understood the significance of gift-giving. Perhaps his husband was not too dense. 

Finally, Koushi emerged from his tent, carrying a huge bow with him. Tooru felt himself edge towards the other Omega, even if he wasn’t standing, watching entranced at the large bow being carried towards him. From what he could see, it had engravings covering it, proof that it had been carved. Koushi placed it down in front of him, bowing a little before he sat down – the first sign of respect that he had shown. Tooru reached out and touched it with a tentative hand, unsure of how such a perfect bow was being gifted to him after a fight. 

“How did your mother know that your future bride could use a bow?” Tooru asked, slightly teasing. 

“It is Southern tradition that all Omega’s learn how to fight, especially with a bow.” Tooru nodded, tracing his hands over the engravings. “It is just luck that your mother wanted to teach you such a skill also.” 

“Or fate.” Koushi piped up, reminding Tooru that he should perhaps thank the other Omega. The entirety of the camp was now staring – watching them closely. 

“Thank you, Koushi.” Tooru spoke, his voice carrying in the wind. “This was a good time to give me such a gift.” Koushi nodded, taking the compliment. 

“I will take you somewhere to use it later, Tooru.” Wakatoshi told him, nodding at Koushi – hinting at him to leave. Tooru didn’t answer, still focused primarily on the bow in front of him. 

They didn’t end up going until a few days later, Wakatoshi stating each day that the wind would not allow Tooru to hit the targets perfectly. In the end, Tooru convinced him enough to take him to the area he had promised in order to practice with his new bow. The weight of it, in his hands, was heavier than expected, the polished wood was thick and strong. It would be irritating to carry it all day but it also signified that it was a strong bow. They left together early in the morning, Wakatoshi insisted that they leave before breakfast as they could have it on their own after. However, the Alpha carried two waterskins in order for them to stay hydrated at least. Wakatoshi walked ahead, obviously, allowing Tooru to carry his bow without a fight. They walked for what seemed as though a few hours but from the state of Wakatoshi – perhaps only minutes. The sun was rising higher in the sky, heating the area they were in. 

“I wanted to avoid the heat.” Wakatoshi gazed up at the sky, his brows even more furrowed than usual. “It seems as though the days are getting longer.” 

“Does it make it hard to travel?” Tooru asked, also watching the sun. There were hardly any clouds today allowing the sun’s heat to beat on them without any protection. 

“We have horses.” Wakatoshi stated as though that was a good enough answer. Tooru gave him a look but was ignored as his Alpha placed the waterskins down in a small shaded area. Then, the Alpha looked at him once more. 

At first, Tooru hadn’t seen the significance of the area, they were in an empty space but surrounding them there were trees. However, once he looked closer – he noticed that there were targets engraved within the trees. They had clearly been there for decades as they had grown out, only slightly distorted, making them more prominent. 

“You travel everywhere and yet you still know all the intimacies of this land.” Tooru spoke, still keeping his eyes trained on the targets. From here, he could hit them easily. Wakatoshi sat down on a large rock beside the waterskins, his legs open. 

“Yes. The land near this border is my favourite. I also trained here, from a young age.” Wakatoshi told him. “Besides, travelling means that I know all my land like this. I am more connected to it.” 

“Connected to land.” Tooru echoed, mocking him. “How savage, UshiWaka-chan” Wakatoshi didn’t reply and Tooru was, honestly, too scared to look at his direction. Someday, he would learn to control his tongue. After a stretched silence, his husband sighed, scraping his feet along the sand as he thought to himself. 

“I often wondered why the other Kingdoms thought of us as savage.” Wakatoshi finally said, breaking the silence. “I had always thought, perhaps it was because Kings who stayed within Palaces were more civil. Then, I met your father.” Tooru winced, he’d started another argument. “Then, I heard that Court Omegas were more appreciable. Then, I met you.” 

“And what is that supposed to mean?” Tooru asked, still not looking towards his husband. “And I thought you liked that I spoke up.” 

“Speaking up and being ungrateful are two different things.” Wakatoshi stated. Tooru clenched his unused fist, feeling reprimanded like a child. “I had assumed that a Court Omega would have known that, I was wrong.” 

“I can be grateful.” 

“Forgive me, I had thought you calling me a ‘savage’ was an insult.” Tooru bit his lip in anger. Yes, he was wrong for the unsolicited insult but he hadn’t thought Wakatoshi would have been too offended. He was, after all, a savage. 

“Okay, I insulted you.” Tooru stated, trying to seem reasonable. “But you insult me with everything you do, you still don’t understand my upbringing and clearly, though I was forced to learn about your culture, you never bothered to learn mine.” 

“I see.” 

Luckily, for both of them, Wakatoshi stopped speaking, allowing Tooru to direct his anger onto something more productive – shooting arrows. Beside Tooru’s feet was a bag filled with arrows, each engraved similar to the bow itself. Once he had asked about it, Wakatoshi had explained that each arrow and bow had similar, not the same, engravings within the Southern Kingdom. This was so that each arrow shot would lead back to the Kingdom, proving their honesty. It was also to differentiate against clans, as they were royal – their engravings often used the ‘eagle’ as an animal to describe their clan. He picked one arrow up daintily, feeling the weight of it in his hand, before lining it up with his bow. The engravement on the bow was clearly more skilled than the arrow but Tooru found himself mesmerized by both together. Wakatoshi clearly wasn’t a patient man because he sighed, drawing Tooru’s attention from the bow and arrow to the target he was aiming at. 

Without thinking too hard, he set the arrow free watching as it glided through the air before puncturing the tree, standing right in the middle of the target. He let out a deep exhale and grinned. Once more, he lifted an arrow up – holding it in his hand to feel the weight, noticing that this one was slightly lighter than the last – before drawing it back along the bow. Finally, he released this one also. 

The release of each arrow felt as if the tension he had been feeling towards the Alpha had been separated from his body, flung onto close-range target. Tooru watched the arrow spike through the bark of the tree, embedding in it enough to leave a huge mark. Wakatoshi, as he could see from the corner of his eye, was not watching the arrow but instead Tooru. Here, Tooru felt as if he had done some action to put on an act in front of his husband, proving his abilities rather than displaying his true emotion; annoyance. 

“You are very skilled, Tooru.” His husband offered the rare compliment. This would be seen as a step forwards but Tooru put that aside and refused to look at the Alpha. 

“I know.” 

“When did you start to practice?” 

“Do you care?” Tooru asked, finally turning his head to glare pointedly at Wakatoshi – finally facing him properly. He sounded childish, even to his own ears, but the man was irritating. He insulted both Tooru and his father in one sentence. “Well? Do you?” 

Instead of answering straight away, Wakatoshi stared at Tooru without any trace of emotion. Then, he sighed – seemingly tired – before looking towards the arrow that Tooru shot. It was as if he finally understood that Tooru was angry, as if the comment he said before wouldn’t have done so. 

“I wasn’t expecting married life to be so...” Wakatoshi paused and Tooru almost believed it was because he was being tactful. “Challenging.” 

“Challenging? For-” 

“I suppose it is due to the fact that we are from different backgrounds.” Wakatoshi stated, his arms folding into themselves and his eyes cast downwards. Tooru bit his tongue, refusing to comment on the same thing that has been driving them apart for weeks. Tooru’s Palace upbringing. 

Mother had stated that marrying a Palace Prince would have been a Savages dream and yet Wakatoshi acts as though it was the greatest insult ever given to him. Tooru dropped the bow he was still holding in his hand, the clattering sound louder than expected on the ground. 

They stared at each other for a few moments than what was necessary, unsure of what to say. Tooru refused to move his eyes from his husband’s stare and so when the Alpha looked away – he counted it as a win. Without his husband staring at him, Tooru did not know what to do or say, instead standing awkwardly. 

“My background doesn’t limit anything.” Tooru eventually spoke, his voice shaking a little from either anger or anxiety. “I don’t know why you are so sure that it does.” 

“Because it does.” Wakatoshi stated simply. He always managed to sound as if he was the only one who was always correct. “As you stated before, there are differences between how we behave.” 

“No. There are differences between how _you_ behave with everyone else.” Tooru snapped. “Everyone else at camp can behave normally, so why can’t you?” 

A look flashed across Wakatoshi’s face surprising Tooru a little. However, after that, his face returned to its usual stoic look, unimpressed with Tooru’s outburst. Tooru expected a retaliation remark or perhaps for his husband to finally show anger, instead, he was faced with the back of the Alpha as he was walking towards the campsite. 

There was no need to follow him and so Tooru watched as his husband left his sight before he sat himself down onto a rock, resting his head into his hands. The water swished around his ankles and he sighed as he felt it cool down his temperature a little. Here, it was beautiful. Without anyone else, the only sound was the water splashing alongside the rocks and now Tooru. The bow he had discarded earlier remained where it was, covered only a little by sand. After a little longer staring at it, Tooru got up from his seat and walked towards it. Despite what Wakatoshi assumed, Tooru was not a spoiled Prince and could appreciate a gift. Once he lifted it, wiping the sand off the wood, he traced his roughened fingers along the marksmanship. It was a beautiful bow, engraved with a beautiful pattern along the length of it. 

A cough drew his attention from it and he glanced over to see an injured Tetsurou staring at him from a small distance. The Alpha, despite hunching over, was still tall – imposing his figure from where he was stood. One step closer and he would be too close but Tooru didn’t move back, instead watching the Alpha curiously. He had seen the Alpha awake before but he had still not spoken to him. 

“I still have to thank you for fixing me up.” Tetsurou smiled, lifting his injured right arm as though he needed to prove how Tooru had helped him. “They said I would have most likely died if it wasn’t for you.” 

“Perhaps.” Tooru shrugged a little. “You can walk around now, I see.” 

“Yeah.” Tetsurou chuckled, “I’m getting there.” They stared at each other a little more than was comfortable. Tooru backed a little, perching himself on the rock he was sitting on before. Why was Tetsurou here? 

Instead of continuing the conversation, Tooru looked back out at the ocean again, watching the tide pull itself in and out repeatedly. The routine of the water was calming, even in strange situations such as this. 

“Listen. About Wakatoshi-” Tooru felt himself inhale sharply. Was this a warning? “He-He mostly means what he says, he’s the brutally honest sort of man.” 

“I know.” 

“That being said. He’s bad at showing what he _actually_ means by his words.” Tetsurou continued, annoying Tooru. “He usually shows it through actions, like that pretty bow you got there.” 

“Why are you here?” Tooru asked, “did he make you come here and speak to me?” 

Tetsurou let out a little laugh at that. “Wakatoshi is a great leader but he is not a schemer.” Tooru faced the Alpha at this comment, smiling a little. 

“You are close with him.” 

“Fortunately.” Tetsurou answered. The Alpha didn’t seem like the kind to be sycophantic and so Tooru assumed what he was saying was entirely the truth. There was also the memory of how worried Wakatoshi was when Tetsurou was first attacked. “He is like a brother to me.” 

“So, you are here to mend our broken relationship.” Tooru concluded with a mocking tone, tilting his head a little to glare at Tetsurou from the side. The Alpha arched a brow but did not retaliate annoyingly. This was not the Alpha he had seen from afar, the teasing, flirtatious one. Keiji was a lucky Omega – Tetsurou knew how to communicate well, even if it wasn’t always his true intention. 

“You cannot call it broken if it was never truly a relationship.” Tetsurou finally bit back. Tooru rolled his head back and stared once more at the sea. It was true, after all, he could not argue with it. “When I first saw you, I thought you were going to be the typical pretty Omega who craved attention.” 

Tooru didn’t say anything. 

“Then, I thought. Wow, Wakatoshi is a lucky Alpha, he got a pretty and smart Omega. One who would understand him.” 

Tooru once more, did not say anything. 

“Then, I realized.” Tetsurou droned on, “that you do crave attention. Not from everyone, but from him.” 

“You’ve known me two minutes, don’t assume anything.” Tooru hissed, standing up at full height now. His scent intensified, using it as a barrier between them. If Tetsurou was surprised by this, he didn’t know it. The Alpha imitated his stance but kept his scent calm as to not threaten Tooru. 

“If I am wrong, then why are you here?” 

“Leave me alone.” Tooru said instead of answering the question, flicking his hand in the direction of the campsite. Tetsurou, at this, seemed irritated. However, understanding the status difference between them, he turned and walked away. Well, limped away. The sand was noisy under his shuffling feet and Tooru almost felt pity for him. 

That night, once he had watched the sea for more than a few hours, he sauntered back into camp. The other Omegas gave him a strange look but he ignored each and every one of them, walking straight to his tent. When he opened the flap, he was glad to see it was empty, aside from a large black fabric bag in which he placed his bow inside. The flap opened as soon as he seated himself by the fire, staring at the flames dance. 

“You are back.” Wakatoshi stated, his look fixated on him. “You were gone a long time.” Tooru nodded instead of speaking. “Are you tired?” 

“Yes.” Tooru answered politely. The Alpha nodded and closed the flap, stepping inside and removing his top. Once more, Tooru was affronted with the scars that littered the Alpha’s body, trailing down onto where his trousers begun. It was a difficult thing to see and yet Tooru was impressed by it also. Instead of gawking at the Alpha, as he suspected Wakatoshi wanted him too, he turned around and placed his head on the fur ‘pillow’ that was in front of him. 

The scent of Wakatoshi filled his nostrils and he realized slowly that he was in Wakatoshi’s usual side of the fur bed. However, without wanting to direct more attention to himself, he stayed there willingly. Wakatoshi stared at him from where he was stood, finished wiping his face with the wet cloth and then laid down beside Tooru. The Omega felt the breath of the Alpha against his neck and before he could tell him to move away, he felt an arm snake around his waist and pull him against Wakatoshi’s chest. 

“What are you doing?” Tooru whispered, unsure of what was happening. After all this time, perhaps Wakatoshi was going to finally force himself upon him. The Alpha didn’t answer and instead pressed the tip of his nose between Tooru’s neck and collarbone, inhaling the scent there. 

The Alpha didn’t seem to want to move past that and so Tooru let himself relax in Wakatoshi’s arms. It made sense to leave it at this rather than to antagonize further and so he did not try to remove himself from the limbs around him. After what seemed like a while but perhaps was only a few minutes, he felt Wakatoshi’s head drop against him and his breath get heavier. He was asleep. Tooru, without forcing himself, felt himself drift not long after that, the scent and the comfort of the Alpha – whether he hated him or not – allowed him to feel safe. 

In the morning, Tooru still felt the arm around him and Wakatoshi’s head lightly above his own. The light breathing of the other man caused his whole body to shiver and he attempted to move away. Whilst attempting to move the arm away from himself, Tooru felt the arm tighten and pull him even closer. From this angle, he could feel Wakatoshi’s groin pressed against him, hardened by the movement. Heat rushed through Tooru’s body in embarrassment and he refused to move even more than he had, resorting to pinching Wakatoshi’s forearm. 

“Wha-” Wakatoshi awoke immediately, moving his arm in annoyance. Tooru took the opportunity to move away, only slightly as to not cause offence, and turn his body around so he was facing Wakatoshi. The tiredness in the Alpha’s eyes mixed with the confusion almost made Tooru laugh a little with laughter. Wakatoshi glanced down at himself and sighed out loud. “It’ll go down.” 

The comment, for whatever reason, made Tooru blush even more – his eyes squeezed shut and he clenched his fists underneath the fur. Surprising him, he felt the blanket shake and heard a small deep chuckle, making him snap his eyes open to stare at Wakatoshi. The Alpha was relaxed on his side of the fur bed, smiling at him. 

“What?” Tooru snapped, agitated that Wakatoshi would laugh at him. However, surprised that the Alpha could laugh at all. “What is so funny?” 

“I always forget you are a blushing virgin.” Tooru stilled. Was that a joke? He didn’t care. He pulled the fur pillow from underneath Wakatoshi’s head and aimed to hit at the Alpha’s head. He felt the pillow smack against the skull and allowed himself to laugh when he heard Wakatoshi huff from underneath it. Without warning, the pillow was thrown aside and Wakatoshi lunged towards him, holding his wrists above his head and his body locking him in place. 

The position was intimate, Tooru wasn’t stupid, however, it was also a fight and he intended to win. After struggling for a moment and understanding that Wakatoshi was too strong, he stopped suddenly and put on his best ‘pained’ face. This tactic usually worked with Hajime when they used to play fight. 

Wakatoshi didn’t seem to notice at first but once he did, his grip loosened just enough for Tooru to whip his wrist from his grasp and knee the Alpha just above the groin. Before Wakatoshi could attack once more, Tooru wrapped his thighs against the Alpha’s waist and flipped them both around so that he was on top. 

It was odd to be play fighting just the morning after they had actually fought but it was taking the anger from Tooru’s body. He stared down at the Alpha, breathing hard, and let out a genuine smile. He counted this as a win. Wakatoshi was beneath him, copying him with a small smile before reaching up to move Tooru’s hair away from his eyes. 

“I am impressed.” Wakatoshi stated, his tone seemingly authentic. Tooru’s breathing calmed down a little and his mind cleared enough for him to realize what position they were really in. “Who taught you how to fight?” 

_Hajime._ “My Mother.” Tooru answered dishonestly, his voice slightly shaky. Finally, he rolled off of the Alpha – only a little ashamed. “She said an Omega should still learn to fight.” 

“She is right.” Wakatoshi said, turning his body over to stare at Tooru. “We should spar again. Properly. I will win.” 

Tooru had learned to distinguish between Wakatoshi’s usual tone. Instead of asserting that he will win, he was betting for it, challenging both himself and Tooru. Perhaps it wasn’t always arrogance. However, Tooru wouldn’t be surprised if the Alpha actually won. Even now, the size of the Alpha was threatening. The scent, even more so. Although all the Alpha’s here at the campsite all had potent scents, Wakatoshi’s was more potent than the rest. Tooru didn’t know if it was due to the fact that he spent more time with this Alpha or if he was the pack leader. Either way, the scent was always overpowering and when Wakatoshi’s words did not state what he meant sometimes his scent would. 

Tooru didn’t answer but Wakatoshi still took it as a yes. The Alpha traced his fingers along Tooru’s arms. He was more affectionate today, it was strange. “Does this mean I am forgiven?” 

So Wakatoshi does know he was in the wrong yesterday. If he knew what he was wrong for, Tooru didn’t know but he supposed that this moment wasn’t the right time to discuss it. Rather, he nodded and gave Wakatoshi a small smile. 

“Good.” Wakatoshi genuinely seemed pleased. As much as he could with his usual facial expression. “We should hunt today.” 

Tooru’s face dropped. “I-I don’t like hunting with Alphas...” He hoped that was a reasonable excuse. He didn’t really want to spend the whole day with Wakatoshi – scared about another argument. 

“Then, hunt just with me.” _Damnit._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all, I surprised myself by having a burst of inspiration! I hope you guys enjoy the chapter, just remember that this is still character building and Oikawa is not 100% himself as it is practically a new world for him.
> 
> Again, I hope you guys like it! Lemme know what you think.


	3. Lover

Luckily, hunting with Wakatoshi was an event that he could postpone for as long as possible, mostly due to the sudden behavior of Wakatoshi himself. After that day, whilst Tooru had thought they had resolved the fight, Wakatoshi clearly did not – spending most of his time avoiding Tooru. 

“He’s nearing his rut.” Koushi informed him, sitting down beside him with a small bowl of cut up melons. Tooru picked the small pieces up with his hands, placing them into his mouth, choosing not to answer to this fact. Did that mean he would be mated soon? “He usually leaves the campsite after a few days of setting things up for his absence.” 

“What?” Tooru asked still around the melon piece in his mouth. Yes, he had picked up some qualities of the savages. “Would I go with him?” Koushi looked at him for a moment, seemingly thinking. 

“No.” He answered, “Wakatoshi-kun would prefer you stay here.” Rejection, although he didn’t care too much for Wakatoshi’s opinion, stung more than Tooru thought. 

“Stay here.” Tooru echoed numbly, “for what reason? Is that what wives usually do?” He couldn’t keep the bite out of his tone. 

“He’s doing it to protect you.” Tooru wasn’t sure what Koushi meant by that but decided not to comment on it when he saw Shigeru march towards them. 

“Good morning.” Shigeru smiled at Tooru before nodding over at Koushi. “I was wondering if you would like to join the Omegas to the baths today.” 

“Ah.” Tooru smiled back, “is that the waterfalls I have heard much about?” Koushi shook his head whilst Shigeru clearly held back a small laugh. 

“Similar.” Koushi answered, noticing that Shigeru wasn’t going to. “There is a little stream that falls into a large area. Waterfalls are larger, however. The ones Wakatoshi-kun likes, anyway.” Tooru nodded at the information before standing, dusting off the dirt from his dress. He still wore more modest clothing than the Southern Omegas but if they were to bathe all together with no Alpha’s present, he was sure he could get used to it. It would perhaps be easier to get closer to the others at the campsite as well. 

“Now?” Tooru asked, picking another piece of melon from the ground before deciding to take the whole bowl. He lifted it and placed the large bowl on his hips as if he was carrying a toddler. Shigeru nodded, taking a melon piece from himself. It was another thing that the Southerners did that Tooru wasn’t used to. Sharing food. 

“I’ll catch up with you, I have to collect some herbs.” Koushi announced, waving his hand to push Shigeru away when he tried to stand. 

“I can go with you.” Tooru offered, wanting to help with the medical tent anyway but Koushi shook his head. 

“No, it’s fine. It’s nothing fun.” Koushi watched his reaction before pausing. “I will join you in the baths and then we can go to the medic tent later.” 

“Okay.” Tooru shifted the melon bowl on his hips before looking back to Shigeru. “Let’s go, Shigeru.” Shigeru nodded, leading the way to the baths that the Omegas usually hid out at. Although Tooru cleaned himself daily, it was mostly with the cleansing water within the tent or the stream nearby and never the baths the Omegas went to. 

The walk towards the baths was mostly quiet, he wasn’t close with Shigeru in any way and so wasn’t sure how to start a conversation. He caught most of Shigeru’s glances over at him, the almost glares, but ignored them, concentrating more on the sky. Since he had been at the camp, there had only been hot days with no rain – he wondered if the Southern Kingdom suffered with droughts, though apparently their autumn was filled with showers. 

The baths were closer than Tooru had previously thought, they were also smaller than he predicted. The stream that pattered down into a mass area that was covered mostly by a green hill. Although the area that the stream poured into was clean, surrounding it was muddy. What was the point in bathing somewhere if you would get dirty straight after? Shigeru pointed down below to inform Tooru where they were going, past a small hill there was a small hole. 

“That’s the entrance and exit.” Shigeru spoke, the first words he had uttered since they left Koushi behind. 

“How often are you guys at the border near the Eastern Kingdom? You all know the area well.” Shigeru looked up at him curiously before glancing back down at the hole, marching towards it. 

“Before most of the people joined Ushijima-sama's camp, they train here.” Tooru looked around, there was so training camps here now. “The training camps are a distance away but close enough. I used to come to the baths a lot, it was the only escape we would get.” 

Tooru smiled at this, “what was the training like, here. I only trained with my mother-” _And Hajime._ “-I don’t know the training for Omegas.” They passed the hole and Tooru realized it was a smooth path down into the stream. It was clean here which made more sense as to why they bathed here. There was a soft smell emitting from the bathing area which did suggest that the Omega’s used some sort of product whilst cleaning themselves. 

“Brutal.” Shigeru admitted, “especially Ushjima-sama's training schemes.” Shigeru was the only one Tooru had directly spoken to who used the proper honorific when describing Wakatoshi. Perhaps it had to do with his age rather than respect as the younger Omega clearly had none towards royalty, although he hid it well. Out of the others, he seemed the blandest but that was probably due to the fact that he didn’t know Tooru as well. Not that Keiji and Koushi did either. 

They had reached the area, another small slope led them to a lower level but Tooru walked over to where the other Omegas were. Shigeru pointed to each of the Omegas, introducing them one by one. Although he had already been briefed on all their names by Wakatoshi before, it was nice to have a re-introduction where he could properly learn to decipher them all. Here, there were Hina, Akari, Ren, Yo and Shinji. Hina and Akari were the only Omega females in camp and there was only one other Alpha female that Tooru had seen, Shimizu. They were also the only twins Tooru had ever known to look completely identical to each other. 

“Sugawara-san is joining us soon.” Shigeru told the other Omegas before looking at Tooru. “Would you like to sit for a while whilst the water heats?” 

“How does the water heat?” Tooru asked, watching as the water from the stream stayed on this level for a short while before dropping down to the lower level he had seen before. 

“Lower than this there is the bathing area we all use as it is more private.” Shigeru explained, Tooru tried his best to concentrate more on him than the constant looks he was getting from the other Omegas. They were clearly curious about him as he’d never spoken to them informally before but still, they had no tact like the Court Omegas did. “The rock here I believe is granite which helps to heat up the water during the summer. It’s usually only really hot during midday.” Tooru nodded, fascinated. Although the Eastern Kingdom was known to be full of natural splendors, most of which he heard from through Hajime, he barely saw any of them as he was constricted as a Court Omega. 

“Have you used baths like this before, Tooru-sama?” Tooru turned his head to see who had spoken to him and realized it was one of the twins, which one he wasn’t sure. 

“No.” Tooru admitted, smiling a little as he did so to seem less intimidating. From the campsite, the twins seemed the youngest. “I noticed that you all use them a lot, though.” 

“Nothing beats the baths by the border.” The other twin spoke, her voice seemed deeper than her sisters. Perhaps a defining difference between the two of them that could be helpful. “When we travel more, Ushijima-sama tries to set camp at the best bathing areas.” Tooru nodded. 

“How long do you usually spend at one camp?” Tooru asked, directing his question at the one who had just spoken. She seemed to appreciate being singled out by the Queen, grinning as she spoke. 

“It depends, Tooru-sama.” She told him, “it could be between a week and a few months.” 

“The longest was after the Great Divide.” Shinji spoke up. He seemed one of shyest, he was also the smallest. His hair was cut extremely short, shaved to his scalp but it suited him in a strange way. “We stayed a year in the Palace.” All the Omegas looked down at this comment. That was the year Wakatoshi was crowned king, the year his parents died. Tooru watched them all once more, Shinji and Yo were the only ones who were perhaps alive during the Great Divide. The others seemed to be either Tooru’s age or younger. It was a nice similar gap, however, reminding Tooru that he was glad that Wakatoshi kept his council young rather than the other Kings who had older advisors. Perhaps it was due to the fact that Wakatoshi was a young King, however. Kings did grow with their advisors, if they were lucky. 

The sun moved slowly throughout the day and so the Omegas busied themselves with talking about idle things and finishing the melon Tooru had brought. Tooru learned that before he had arrived, Wakatoshi used to have the smallest tent in the campsite, wanting to seem invisible to outsiders and also to leave the largest one for travelers or anyone who joined their camp for a few days. However, before he married Tooru he changed that stating that he needed one big enough for two, or big enough for a Palace Prince. All the Omegas laughed at the snide comment and Tooru forced himself to join in. They weren’t being malicious just ignorant. Also, it was sort of a nice feeling – to know that Wakatoshi had changed the tent size before Tooru married him in order to give him more space. Perhaps he was more considerate when he was least expected to be rather than when he should be. 

Koushi appeared out of one of the slopes, his face red from the heat and his eyes widened in small surprise. “You are all still outside? It’s midday.” 

“It just turned midday, Sugawara-san.” Shigeru replied cheekily, his tone dry. 

“It’s been midday for a few hours now, Shigeru-kun.” Koushi stuck his tongue out, laughing at Shigeru’s annoyed face. “Let’s go, I can’t wait to show Tooru-kun the bath!” 

“Did anyone invite Keiji-kun?” Tooru asked, noticing how everyone paused at this question. Then, Koushi stepped towards him. 

“Keiji doesn’t like to bathe with the rest of us!” He sang but Tooru observed the hesitation in the comment. Perhaps he would find out later. 

The lower level of the bathing area was spectacular, it was underneath so there was little light but enough to be able to see. The water reflected around the cave-like area, low enough for them to walk in it but high enough for them to comfortably sit. It was more spacious than Tooru would have assumed before, he scanned the area. By the opening, on the right, there was a small area that was slightly higher than the rest of the water meaning he could sit there for a bit to watch the water. The other Omegas placed themselves in the water, sitting down and stretching out their limbs. The water was not too hot, warm and seemingly getting warmer despite it already being past midday. 

Tooru couldn’t appreciate it anymore, however, as he became brutally aware of how naked everyone was. He stayed in his own night clothes, not wanting to expose himself but the others did not care. The twins waltzed around with their breasts floating in the water, giggling with each other and Shigeru lounged on a rock speaking mindlessly with Shinji who, despite his previous shyness, was exposing the most out of everyone. 

Koushi sat beside him, placing his hand above Tooru’s own, startling him a little. He decided not to look in Koushi’s direction for obvious reasons. 

“Wakatoshi-kun was looking for you.” Koushi whispered, luckily not echoing across the walls. His voice seemed softer in the cave. “I told him you were with us.” 

“Did you collect what you needed?” Tooru asked, diverting the topic. “The herbs?” 

“Yes.” Koushi smiled, clearly catching onto what Tooru was doing. “You can help me sort them out when we head back.” Tooru nodded, thanking him. 

“Tooru-sama.” Yo moved towards him in the water, ducking their head down shyly once they got closer. “If you want, we can swim lower where the water is hotter.” Yo was pointing to a darkened area that seemed slightly ominous. 

“I’d like to stay here, thank you.” Tooru replied politely, “would you like to sit up here?” Yo seemed even more shy with this offer, his cheeks tainting pink and his entire body curling as much as it could in the water. 

“I am okay here.” Yo turned in attempt to move but Tooru sighed, sinking down into the water to get closer to him but not too close to notice Yo’s own nakedness. 

“I’ve seen you hunt with the Alphas sometimes.” Tooru told him, trying his best to look at Yo despite his obvious attempts to turn his head. Koushi sunk into the water as well, sighing loudly as the warm water covered most of his body. 

“Me and Hina.” Yo told him, coughing a little. Tooru looked around at the twins, one of them was Hina. He assumed it was the one with the deeper voice, a stereotype that more Alpha like Omegas were stronger. Tooru was always told due to his own height that it would be hard to find a suitor taller than him, making him more Alpha like. It was one of the reasons he loved to learn archery and sparring with both his mother and Hajime. 

“I’m guessing you trained here.” Tooru gestured his arms outwards, noticing how the others, aside from the twins, were looking over at them. “Everyone did.” 

“It is tradition.” Tooru was getting bored with the conversation but Yo was the only Omega here he hadn’t properly spoken to yet. “Would you like me to spar with you sometime?” This peaked Tooru’s interest, he turned his head to smile at him. 

“I would love to.” Tooru opened his mouth to say something more before he felt water overpower him, covering his hair and body. Koushi had jumped in the water and splashed down, laughing as he did so. Showing everything. Tooru felt his face instantly heat up and he covered his eyes a little, letting out a tiny yelp. This made Koushi laugh even harder and Hina, the twin with the deeper voice, joined in. Soon, everyone was laughing and Tooru once more found himself having to force laughter out from himself. 

“We must bathe, Tooru-kun.” Koushi laughed, waving his arms in the air. “We bathe naked.” 

“I’m not taking off my clothes.” 

“Why? We can see everything anyway.” Koushi pointed down in the water and Tooru immediately covered himself with his hands. Koushi laughed once more but this time it was only him. 

“Sugawara-san.” Shigeru warned lightly, sinking lower in the water. “Here is some ointment.” He reached back behind him and then threw Koushi a small glass bottle. Inside there was a fragranced oil in which he supposed Koushi was meant to clean himself with. 

“Thank you.” Koushi took it, clearly displeased with something. Tooru chose to ignore it, Koushi had been the rude one – once more. The Omega knew no boundaries. 

“Tooru-sama.” Yo’s voice took him out of his own thoughts and he looked down to see Yo’s hand holding a small glass tube as well. “This one is a natural ointment, to bring out your own scent.” Tooru took it, bringing it to his nose. It didn’t smell of anything and so he thought no harm would be done. He rubbed it gently into his arms and chest before moving downwards and rubbing it underneath his dress. Koushi watched him from the side before he caught Tooru watching and diverted his gaze. 

After the baths, Koushi walked alongside Tooru, his head lower than usual. Tooru watched him from the side of his eyes but ignored him other than that. It was only when Koushi rose his head and looked at Tooru himself, smiling softly that Tooru sighed. 

“What’s wrong?” He asked, despite his earlier thoughts. 

“I apologize for my behavior. You are in a foreign kingdom alone and the least we could do is accept your modest boundaries.” 

“Thank you.” Tooru replied, unsure of what else to say. “May I help you with the medicinal herbs?” 

“Yes, of course.” Koushi smiled, he turned his head up to bask in the late afternoon sun glow. There was something so soft about Koushi’s features that always seemed to hide his true intentions well. Tooru had thought it before and he would continue to think it, Koushi should have been a Court Omega. The role suited him so well. 

They walked slightly behind the other Omegas until they got back into the campsite where they branched off towards the medic tent. In there, there were a few herbs obviously misplaced in which they would need to tidy. 

“Are these hard to travel with?” Koushi shook his head. “You have one carriage, I suppose it’s mostly for these supplies.” 

“Yes, and injured people.” Koushi told him. “We will be going via horseback; I assume you know how to ride.” 

Tooru made a face to suggest that the answer was obvious, he was of royal blood – of course he knew how to ride a horse. However, his usual way was for show in which he would have to ride side saddle. Not only that but he used to love to ride for leisure, not travel. He had never ridden horseback for more than a few hours with breaks included. It was something he was nervous about – not that he would state that aloud. 

“My husband-” Tooru started, “I find it strange he hasn’t gone through details about this with me.” 

“Did you ask?” Koushi asked cleverly, his tone slightly condescending. 

“Do I have to?” Tooru retorted. “He should know some things by himself, I can’t explain everything to him.” 

“No.” Koushi agreed, “but you could prompt him.” 

“How?” Tooru asked, placing down the small glass container filled with a brown substance that looked almost like soft grass during autumn. 

“Well, my mother used to always say that once you’ve got an Alpha in bed, you’ve unlocked his mind.” Tooru made another face causing Koushi to laugh. “Apparently they loosen up once you seduce them. Do that and he’ll tell you everything that’s going on in his mind.” 

“I wouldn’t know how to seduce.” Tooru admitted, “besides, he’s an experienced Alpha, he wouldn’t fall for such a trap.” 

“Aha.” Koushi smiled, waving his index finger to suggest that Tooru was wrong. “I’ve known Wakatoshi-kun my whole life and I know that despite whatever fights you two have, he wants you.” 

Heat instantly rushed towards Tooru’s cheeks and he bit the inside of his cheek in small embarrassment. He cursed himself for showing his own obvious reaction to the statement but could not help it. In all the time he had spent with his husband, he could not tell of such desire. 

“It’s true.” Koushi laughed once more, picking up the glass container that Tooru had previously put down and putting it in its rightful place. “You wouldn’t even need to seduce; you must know how beautiful you are.” 

“I mean-” 

“Don’t deny it.” Koushi interrupted, his voice stern. He faced Tooru and pointed a finger at him before retracting it once Tooru nodded – openly agreeing that he believed he was beautiful. “Just sit there with your legs out and ask him about his plans. He is sure to tell you.” 

And for some reason, Tooru believed him. 

At first it had worked. Wakatoshi, for the first time in the entirety of their marriage, seemed excited. His eyes fixated upon Tooru’s body as though the Omega were pulling them out of their sockets, and his mouth was only slightly agape but open enough to prove that he was enticed. The Alpha, following his eyes, moved forwards at the same time his hands grew apart from him and outstretched themselves. Everything, every body part and limb was heading towards Tooru and all Tooru could do was sit there, smiling. That was all he had done. His mother was right, despite all the strength Alphas had, they were all weak. 

Once Wakatoshi slammed his knee down to rest on it, coming eye level to Tooru, he pulled Tooru upwards by the wrist. His face had almost gone completely blank again before Tooru removed his wrists from him and pushed Wakatoshi down himself. Submitting, Wakatoshi lay on his back, his eyes trained to see every move Tooru made as he climbed atop the Alphas body, pressing himself lower onto the man. He leaned down, feeling more confident with himself than he ever had done before he turned his face away when Wakatoshi reached upwards for a kiss. 

“What are your plans?” Tooru asked, his voice barely a whisper but clearly loud enough to gather a reaction from Wakatoshi. The body beneath him stiffened completely and at first, he was scared that Wakatoshi had taken it the wrong way – that he had thought the Omega had meant it sexually but once he was pushed off, he knew Wakatoshi hadn’t misunderstood. 

“My plans?” Wakatoshi asked, his voice more hardened than usual. “You want to know of my plans, now?” 

“Yes.” Tooru hissed, “when else would I hear of them?” At this, Wakatoshi’s eyes narrowed and he let out a long sigh. 

“We will not discuss this now.” 

“Yes, we will.” Tooru demanded, not expecting Wakatoshi to stand up and attempt to exit the tent. “What are you doing? Do you always run away from your problems?” Tooru’s voice raised louder with anger, his fists completely clenched as he pushed himself from the ground to stand also. 

“So, you admit that you are a problem of mine?” Wakatoshi asked, the tone surprising Tooru before it angered him even further. He grasped the closest thing to him and threw it before he even knew what it was. When he saw it hit the chest of the Alpha, he noticed it to be an unlit candle holder. The fact that Wakatoshi didn’t even react to the hit aside from a small grunt caused Tooru to pick another thing and another thing, throwing them at Wakatoshi until the man had left the tent completely. Tooru followed, throwing a bowl filled with cleansing water and bent down to pick up more ammo until he noticed Wakatoshi didn’t even give him a small glance, nothing. He had lost this one. 

Tooru stifled an annoyed cry by biting his fist, hard. He was too blinded by his anger that he didn’t see Keiji walk towards him, his entire demeaner off, not his usual pose. Instead of speaking to him from the start, Keiji sat down opposite Tooru – although Tooru was still sighing and coughed a little in his hand. Tooru immediately jumped, pulling his fist from his mouth and staring – wide-eyed – at Keiji. 

“I apologize.” Tooru stated, his voice wracked with anxiety. The fear also seeped into his features proving that he was worrying about what Keiji thought of him, shouting at his Alpha. Fighting with Koushi and having marital disputes was different than attacking a King, Queen or not. Keiji, unlike what Tooru had expected, didn’t react to his apology or the fight at all, instead he still sat with his head bowed. “I’ll compose myself.” 

“You do not need to apologize or compose yourself around me.” Keiji said finally, his voice quiet and his eyes still cast down. “I understand your anger, I felt it too.” 

“You have?” Tooru asked, crouching down to be level with Keiji. He had understood, from the time he had spent with the Southerners that they preferred to all be level, equal, thus the tents and the travelling together. Therefore, he could implement it when he wanted information. 

“Yes.” Keiji offered little to the conversation, taking a deep breath before he finally looked up at Tooru, holding his gaze for just a small moment. 

“What changed?” Tooru asked, it was clear Keiji wasn’t going to offer what he needed by himself, he needed some probing. 

“My parents died.” 

Keiji seemed to shrink in front of him, his whole body taught with clear tension, straining his shoulders and his neck. His head was hung low as though he was ashamed about what he was to say. Tooru grew nervous, watching Keiji unravel in front of him but remained silent. The other Omega finally looked up, his eyes half shut like he was drunk or tired. Tooru immediately regretted reminding Keiji about his past from this single reaction and yet he was too scared to divert the topic. 

“When I was younger,” Keiji started his story similar to how a mother would tell her child a bedtime fable. “I lived in the Northern Kingdom. This was the time of the great divide; I was thirteen at the time.” Tooru nodded, listening carefully. 

“I wasn’t born royal neither noble, only a servant within the Palace and so when the attacks happened.” Keiji gulped causing Tooru to surge forwards and grasp his hands in a gesture of comfort. Keiji didn’t react to the action and so Tooru took that as a good sign, keeping his hand there. “Both my mother and father died that day. I nearly did.” 

“What happened?” Tooru asked, making sure to keep his voice soft. Keiji looked up at him with wet eyes, both of them staring at each other. 

“Tetsurou-kun saved me.” Keiji told him, “he and Wakatoshi-kun were at the North at the time this happened. We all lost something that day.” 

“Why were they in the North?” Tooru questioned. “I never knew that the North and the South had treaties beforehand.” 

“If I am being honest, I have never spoken about that day with either of them.” Tooru nodded, keeping his head down. “All I know is that if Wakatoshi-kun and Tetsurou-kun were not Southerners, I would not have been saved.” 

“What makes you say that?” 

“Because they wouldn’t have looked at me as a person.” Keiji told him, “they would have seen me as just a servant.” 

Tooru had gotten up the next day earlier than usual and he left the tent in the hopes of finding his useless husband and beating rules into his thick head. However, as he rounded a corner of the line of tents, he saw – well, mostly smelt, his husband and immediately regretted his decisions. 

Wakatoshi’s scent, usually already overwhelming with the strength of it, seemed impossibly thicker, covering every inch of the area that surrounded him. His breathing intensified, his nostrils flaring as though he was preparing for a fight, and his chest rose and fell and he stared at Tooru. Only Tooru. There was a moment, a heartbeat, before he proceeded to walk towards Tooru. His whole body felt restrained, held back, as he walked towards the Omega, picking up his speed as he got closer. The scent got stronger as the Alpha moved closer, forcing Tooru to lazily blink and almost fall from the scent alone. He wasn’t sure if anyone else was reacting the same but at the moment his eyes were too heavy to open and check. His shoulders were grabbed and he was dragged to stand completely upright, his half-open eyes looking at Wakatoshi’s own. 

This felt wrong. 

Another arm grasped his left elbow, hauling him back and away from Wakatoshi’s grip causing Tooru to yell out in slight pain. Another figure from in front of Tooru jumped in front of him, pushing Wakatoshi backwards and away from the Omega. Once there was enough distance, Tooru felt his knees give out and he landed directly on top of the person who had pulled him away from Wakatoshi. His eyes shut and he let himself fall asleep. 

He awoke only when he felt something wet slap across his forehead, his eyes soaking up the water that dropped downwards onto them. He flinched at the coldness of the water before quickly sitting up, the cloth falling from his forehead onto his lap. There was a soft sigh next to him and he opened his eyes to see Koushi, beside him. The other Omega’s eyes were trained on him, watching his every move as he moved backwards slightly and hunched his legs upwards. He noticed there were a few other Omegas around them, Shigeru and Keiji with them. Koushi scooted closer to him, his eyes soft and his hands even softer as he brushed them on his leg, soothing him. 

“Why do I feel like this?” He asked, hoping they knew how he felt. There was an obvious weight over him, his mind cloudy and his heart hammering although there was no threat in front of him. 

“You were exposed to a pack leader deep in their rut.” Koushi’s voice was low, his head bowed down, not in respect but in slight pity – from what Tooru could read. Keiji moved closer as well, his hand outstretched on the ground to hold his weight. With a small gesture, he ordered the rest of the Omegas to leave, meaning that the only people in the tent were Keiji, Koushi and Tooru himself. 

“My husband.” Tooru swallowed. It was as if the memory was distant. He knew that Wakatoshi was leading up to a rut but that still was not enough preparation. 

“Yes. But he is not your mate. Nature works differently from human laws.” Koushi stated, his hand still atop of Tooru’s raised knee. “The scent can be overwhelming. That is why he wanted to spend his ruts away from you, when you are not mated at least.” 

“I see.” Tooru huffed, “I don’t understand. You didn’t react like that. Or, at least, you are okay now...” Tooru trailed off, lowering his gaze towards the bottom of the tent rather than Koushi or Keiji. 

“We are used to the camp.” Keiji spoke this time, his voice was less calming but it was deeper. More grounding. “When I first arrived from the Northern camps. I-Wakatoshi-kun's rut hit him early when I arrived at the camps due to his parent’s death. As I was new to the camp, I was seemingly the only one affected the most. I learned later that it was due to me not being used to the scents of the camp.” 

“I don’t understand.” 

“Wakatoshi-kun, as leader of the pack, has the scent _of_ the pack.” Keiji explained slowly, smiling softly when Tooru’s eyes lifted to see him. “All pack leaders have this ability to relate with everyone using scents. It is not needed in Palace Kings which is why you have never come across it before. Neither had I.” 

“So, that is why it is so strong.” Tooru concluded, shifting back a little. 

“Yes. It is also why you reacted the way you did. Wakatoshi-kun's scent mixes all the scents of the pack. The rut increases this and as you are not used to the pack scent...” Keiji trailed off, guessing from Tooru’s expression that he understood. 

“Thank you, for explaining.” Tooru stated, his body relaxing a little from the knowledge. His mind had already conjured up the images of the non-compatibility between Tooru and Wakatoshi due to the way his scent had affected Tooru. "So, he will be gone for a week?” 

“Three days.” Koushi corrected, finally moving his hand off of Tooru’s knee and placing it on his own. The other two Omegas relaxed also, lounging a little as they both passed Tooru a bowl filled with cut up melon. “Wakatoshi-kun’s ruts do not last long, which is good as they will prevent us from travelling but only a short delay. They are very intense though.” 

“How would you know?” Tooru’s eyes narrowed. He had known before marrying his husband that he was not a virgin but had hoped that he hadn’t slept with his council. 

“I had to nurse him through one with medication. They can get very bad.” Koushi explained calmly, smiling a little at Tooru’s obvious jealousy. “What are your heats like, Tooru-Kun?” 

“You can’t just ask that!” Tooru yelled, his face tinting red. Both Koushi and Keiji seemed surprised by this action before Koushi let out a small laugh. 

“I forgot the Easterner’s did not like to speak about sex.” Koushi smiled, but his eyes were narrowed. “I still would have thought you at least spoke about heats and ruts.” 

“Only with my mother.” Tooru calmed down. “Even at that, it was limited. I don’t see the point in talking about such private things.” 

“To avoid abuse.” Keiji’s explanation was muffled with the grape he had in his mouth, he swallowed it before continuing. “The Northern Kingdom’s were never as crude as the Southerners but we were still taught about heats and sex.” 

“I wouldn’t call us crude.” Koushi began to defend himself, his nose wrinkling a little in an annoyance. 

“You are.” Both Keiji and Tooru interrupted in unison. 

“The Southerners are very...open.” Tooru worded better, smiling softly at Koushi – teasing him. 

“You never answered the question.” Koushi stated, slightly annoyed. He waved around a grape before plopping it into his mouth and biting, hard. 

“My heats are tolerable.” Tooru lied, “sometimes good, sometimes bad.” Both Omegas nodded at the answer, seemingly understanding. 

“Mine are terrible. I wish I had an Alpha.” Koushi admitted making Tooru cringe at the statement. “What? It’s the truth.” 

“Why? There are plenty of-" Tooru started. 

“Toys? Not the same, Tooru-Kun. You’ll soon find out anyway.” Tooru had enough of being the joke, huffing a little. 

“What makes you so sure I haven’t already found out?” The other two Omega’s eyes widened instantaneously before Koushi ripped his wrist towards him, sniffing at it intensely. 

“Liar.” Koushi chided softly. “But I like that side of you.” 

Without Wakatoshi there, the campsite seemed half-empty. Even without Wakatoshi speaking to him, his presence was always there – looming over like a tall shadow. Now, Tooru felt alone surrounded by strangers, Luckily, Koushi and Keiji stuck nearby to him, constantly speaking to him about random trivial Southern traditions. 

On the second day, Tooru cooked for everyone, with significantly less meat than usual. He assumed that the other Alphas would have hunted without Wakatoshi when they needed meat but as he looked around, none of them looked ready enough to hunt. Tetsurou caught his eye, the Alpha hunched down awkwardly picking at the sand. He still hadn’t spoken to him since their small interaction with each other. 

The Alpha looked up, sensing the staring, and watched him curiously – tilting his head to the side. Without speaking, Tetsurou stood up and walked towards Tooru, his eyes still trained on his. Mindlessly, Tooru stirred the stew, thickening it up. 

“Are you alright?” Tetsurou asked, his voice low as if he didn’t want anyone else to hear. “Keiji told me about your reaction to Wakatoshi’s scent.” 

“That happened two days ago.” Tooru replied, looking down into the huge pot. The stew was almost done, it needed a few minutes more. He added some more carrots, wanting to add more colour into the pot and fill the stew with what should have been meat. 

“Ah.” Tetsurou smiled, “well, I thought I would check.” The Alpha seemed awkward, looking around the area before focusing his eyes on Tooru once more. It felt as though Tooru was being questioned by the advisor, he clearly wanted to know something. A tiny bit of oil spat out and attacked his hand making him recoil. “There are a few things I need to run by you as Wakatoshi isn’t here.” 

Tooru paused at this, turning his head slightly but still looking at the pot. “Like what?” 

“Well, as Queen...” Tetsurou rubbed the back of his neck, looking to the side. “There are a few errands we need to ask of you. Just while Wakatoshi isn’t here.” 

“Only when Wakatoshi isn’t here?” Tooru asked, genuinely curious as to why this had never been spoken to him before. Tetsurou once more looked to the ground, clearly finding his feet more interesting than Tooru himself. “What is it?” 

“Wakatoshi has yet to properly tell his people he has married an Eastern Prince. That is one of the reasons we are travelling to the Palace. I have just received a letter from his advisors over there and it seems...they are not agreeable.” 

“They aren’t agreeable?” Tooru hissed, “so the _oaf_ married someone without-” He took in a deep breath and let Tetsurou drag him to an area that was less public. Another person, a younger Alpha, took control of the food. They went past two tents, hiding behind them as Tooru regained his posture. 

“We assumed they would agree. The treaty is what we need.” The statement angered Tooru, knowing that both Wakatoshi and Tetsurou and perhaps everyone at this camp had taken a risk. It would have been an easy enough mistake to fix if neither Wakatoshi or Tooru were royals but the thought that King willingly went against his council to wage war and marry a foreign Prince was irresponsible. It endangered both the treaty and Tooru’s life. 

“Do these advisors want war?” Tooru asked, hoping that at least they would agree to some parts of Wakatoshi’s plan. 

“They should not want. They should obey.” Tetsurou responded. The answer surprised Tooru, he watched as the Alpha’s features darkened. 

“They want what is best for the Kingdom.” Tooru tried to remain calm, not wanting to anger Tetsurou. The Alpha’s breathing got heavier before he visibly straightened himself, brushing his hair back with his hand. The momentary anger didn’t seem like it would go further and so Tooru didn’t comment on it. “If they don’t want war, they will never be happy with the treaty.” 

“Being allies with the Eastern Kingdom is good even without war.” Tetsurou stated, taking a step back. “They will be agreeable when they meet you.” 

“Why?” 

“You are exactly what they want Wakatoshi to be.” Tetsurou admitted, with this he shuffled his feet and rubbed the back of his neck once more. “They wanted a Palace King, hating Wakatoshi’s methods.” 

“So, you think they would assume I will change Wakatoshi?” Tooru asked, suddenly confused by the conversation. “What is it you want me to do?” 

“Prove to them, from a Court Omega’s point of view, that war with the Northern Kingdoms is a good choice.” 

“But it isn’t.” Tooru snapped. 

“It isn’t?” Tetsurou asked, “then why would you agree with it? You married-” 

“My father adores violence. You didn’t see him during the Circle of Fights?” Tetsurou silenced himself after this. “The Northern Kingdoms are divided, yes. But with a common enemy, do you not think they would fight, together?” 

“Then it is a win-win scenario.” Tetsurou responded. “Either we destroy the North or we unify it.” 

“At what cost?” Tooru asked, “you would kill all your Alphas, endanger all your Omegas and children for what? A Kingdom that decided it wanted three Kings over one?” 

“If that’s all you think the North is, your father did not teach you well.” The comment was met with a heavy silence, both breathing heavily and staring at each other. Advisors could be excused from such attitude but Tooru wasn’t comfortable enough with Tetsurou to be criticized, yet. 

“Enough about my education.” Tooru clenched his fists, “you are _all_ obsessed with violence. Every King I have ever spoken to-” 

“Food is ready.” Keiji’s voice halted them both. Both of them had been too focused on each other that they didn’t notice the other person join them. Keiji stood, mostly still, releasing a soft emitting scent in order to calm both of them down – most notably, Tetsurou. The Omega was holding to steaming bowls of stew, handing one to Tooru whilst holding another to his chest. “Tetsurou, go get some food.” 

“Ke-” Tetsurou started. 

“Go.” Keiji ordered, stopping him from speaking. Tetsurou bowed his head and walked off, past the two tents they were standing by. Tooru watched as he left, still breathing heavily with anger. “They are very passionate about this war, Tooru-kun.” 

“Good for them.” Tooru muttered, picking at his food. “I don’t see why I have to be such a huge part in a war I don’t want to happen.” 

“I told you what the North has done to us.” 

“Yes. The Northern Kings. Not the people.” Tooru said, he picked a spoon and ate it. “War is never the answer.” 

“Not always.” Keiji agreed. “But this time.” 

It always seemed like war was the answer to all the Kingdom’s problems, Tooru thought as he lay on his fur bed at night. In the years that Tooru was allowed to dine with Kings, Queens and their advisors, he’d come to understand the hesitations that came with governing a Kingdom but the confidence that came with waging war. There had only been one Great War that he had heard of in his lifetime, the reason his mother had married his father. The Southern Kingdom at the time had a huge royal family, with the King and Queen and five royal Omegas and one Alpha son, Wakatoshi’s father. Tooru’s mother had been the youngest of the siblings, allowed to marry as she wished due to her unimportance to the succession of the throne. However, during the war – all of her Omega siblings were murdered, some even by their own people out of anger of the royal family. Thus, she married the Eastern King to ensure that the Eastern and Southern Kingdoms would remain unified. 

That fact had always made Tooru assume that he could have married a Western or Northern King as there was already a solidified treaty between the Eastern and Southern Kingdoms. However, both Kings from both Kingdoms had clearly thought that a stronger treaty would have been better for both Kingdoms, primarily due to the war against the North. Now, with the knowledge that the Southern advisors were also against this treaty, it meant that the marriage was deemed useless by many people other than Tooru himself. Perhaps even by the Southern people. The selfishness that his husband had already shown by moving forwards with this treaty caused Tooru to huff, biting his clenched fist in order to prevent himself from shouting aloud in anger. He was left alone, in this huge tent, due to the apparent care his husband had for him – not wishing to harm him during his rut and yet their marriage was a forbidden one. Maybe he should never sleep with Wakatoshi – to preserve his virtue and be able to marry another man. It was unlucky that Wakatoshi wasn’t here right now to defend himself, maybe explaining the situation better than Tetsurou had. Not that Wakatoshi was good at explaining anything. 

Although he was angry at the thought of the Alpha at the moment, he couldn’t help but feel a small pang of pity for him. Tooru wondered, at this point randomly, as he looked at the empty space behind him, what Wakatoshi’s ruts were like. Perhaps the strength of them would leave the Alpha vulnerable, completely at the will of his Alpha rather than anyone else. Yet, if this was true – he wouldn’t have been left alone. Did that mean he was even stronger? The rut increased his already potent scent, did it increase his power? The thought of Wakatoshi _completely_ \- 

He stopped himself of thinking about it any longer, instead concentrating on the patterns on the tent. Water had been split on it earlier this morning and he hadn’t realized it would have left such an intricate pattern alongside the skin of it. The water droplets had fallen, dragging the stain along with them, and Tooru dropped his gaze downwards to the zip. There was a small puddle outside where the water had fallen downwards onto, he had seen it before he entered the tent. It was a good enough distraction and he felt himself drifting off, his eyes blinking slowly as he let sleep overcome him. 

He heard scratching at the door of the tent and he sat up, his eyes widened with alarm. There was no way he was being attacked, right? 

“Tooru.” He heard whispered from the other side. He recognized the voice easily and got up to open the tent flap with a huff. What on earth did he want now? 

Koushi stared at him for a long moment, his eyes darkened with an emotion that Tooru could not read properly. Perhaps it was annoyance or even fear. 

“There is only one reason why I am giving this to you.” Koushi stated, his voice eerily calm despite what his scent and face was informing Tooru. “I understand how it feels and I couldn’t keep it from you.” 

“Couldn’t keep what from me?” Tooru questioned, he stood just a little taller to impose himself more than he had been. Whatever the situation was – it felt wrong, threatening. 

Before either of them could continue to speak, paper was almost thrown into his face, barely crinkled with how light Koushi was holding it – almost as though he wanted to drop it. Tooru didn’t focus on it immediately, tilting his head in confusion towards Koushi before finally shifting his eyes back to the paper. It was a letter, one that was clearly written by nobility just from the look and feel, once Tooru brushed his hands alongside it and took it from Koushi’s grasp. 

“It was given by a crow. Only I have seen it.” Tooru nodded, too distracted by the letter itself. The wax strip on the back signified who it was from and on cue, his throat went dry and his eyes shut with mild annoyance but mostly with anticipation. 

“You know who has written it?” 

“Yes.” Koushi replied, his voice hardening. “Please do not make me regret giving it to you, Tooru.” The desperation in the question caused Tooru to nod instinctively. 

“You said-” Tooru cleared his throat before continuing - “You said that you understood how it felt?” 

“I had an Alpha.” Koushi explained, sighing as he spoke. “He was a good Alpha. We never mated but I-I loved him.” 

The confession surprised Tooru, he hadn’t known that Koushi had loved someone beforehand. Hadn’t even known there was an Alpha who had caught his interest. 

“He...disappeared a few years ago.” 

“Disappeared?” Tooru questioned. 

“Everyone suspects he was murdered.” Koushi told him, “but I would know. He isn’t dead, Tooru-kun. I know it.” Tooru nodded slowly. 

“You know how it is to miss someone.” Tooru finished for him. “Thank you, for understanding.” 

“Promise me one thing, Tooru.” Koushi said softly, his eyes down casted – no longer looking at the other Omega in front of him. “Do not keep the letter. Read it and then move on. For the sake of both your Kingdoms.” With this comment – order – Koushi smiled, the first he had during this conversation, and side passed Tooru to walk towards his own tent. 

Tooru was left alone holding the very thing that was forbidden. Koushi had done a brave thing to give it to him, a selfish thing – also. But Tooru was glad of it. He turned to walk into his tent, hidden away from anyone else. 

The letter felt heavy in his hands, the weight of the words already obvious just from the feel of the paper. It was thin, like every letter was, and yet the wax stamp was so prominent, so thick, that it felt difficult to open. There was only one person this stamp belonged to. The peel of the stamp felt unsatisfying, as if he was breaking something he shouldn’t be. Then, without thinking, he unfolded the letter, falling down gracelessly onto the piles of fur beneath him. He hadn’t been expecting this. There was only ever going to be one goodbye, played out in his head numerous times. He was married, soon to be mated. A shadow – obviously Koushi – loomed outside for a moment – perhaps regretting giving Tooru the letter, before he left. Finally, Tooru was alone. 

The writing, Tooru noticed, was messy – unlike Hajime’s old letters that he used to give to Tooru after they had argued. Unlike Wakatoshi, who – similar to Tooru – would prefer not to speak about the fight but rather act as though nothing had happened, Hajime always wished to speak about it. Other than that, there was only one other time Hajime had written him a letter. It was when he had first confessed his feelings to Tooru. Tooru’s sixteenth birthday. The memory caused his throat to feel restrictive and he took in a shaky breath, clutching at the letter in his hand. He brought himself up to read the ‘Dear Tooru’. 

He could almost hear Hajime’s voice through the writing, reminding him of how much he truly missed the Alpha. Not just for the obvious reasons but for the comfort he always brought just as a friend. Eventually, he read the rest. 

_Dear Tooru,_

_I promised myself never to do this and yet I find myself writing this._

_This is the third letter I have written within a week. Each time I write one, I either rip it or burn it. I never wanted to burden you with my feelings whilst you are away. Married._

_I miss you. I watched the stars yesterday, an action I never thought I would do without you there to force me. The whole time, I was reminded of you, your laugh, your scent, your stupid jokes. There is so much time we have lost, so much time we could have had with each other._

Tooru paused, looking up to prevent his tears from touching the sacred paper. Hajime was never this forward usually, the words struck something deep within him. 

_I know this is selfish of me to do. Please, do not hate me for this letter, Tooru. I may throw this one away also, or perhaps I will finally be brave enough to send it. I know you are doing well with the Southerners, so I will not even ask. I just want you to know that I miss you Tooru. I love you._

_I love you._

_Hajime._

There was no other important message in the letter aside from the three consecutive words that both of them barely used. This letter was just another confession, tying Hajime to him even when they could not see each other ever again. Tooru, despite the desperation from Hajime in the letter, wanted to hate the Alpha. And yet, he could not help but feel the same that he felt. Shame rose and coloured his cheeks, the thought that a married Omega would love another Alpha. However, the circumstances made it so. One day, he will have to mate with Wakatoshi, another he will have to birth his child. He was _married_ to Wakatoshi. So, why, would he regret a decision he never was allowed to make. The letter, moving on its own, fell from his hand, crinkling slightly in the furs. 

The tent seemed larger, reminding Tooru that he was alone. It was colder now, as though the letter had been the only source of heat beforehand. He wished, selfishly, that the letter from Hajime had been about the politics of the land or even a letter stating that he was marrying another. That way, he could focus on his new home. Yet, he was glad – almost. That Hajime, someone he had loved for a long time, still felt the same. Still clutched at his pillow at night thinking about him, obsessing over their memories. The letter, now facing him from below his chin atop of the furs, shook as he moved his leg back. He wanted to keep it, despite of Koushi’s warning. He wanted it to himself. Hajime was selfish enough to write it and Tooru was selfish enough to read it. He picked it up gently, as if it would tear easily, and moved it towards the small lit fire they had at the edge of their camp. One throw and he could forget about Hajime – he would have moved on. No matter how many letter’s Hajime sent, he would have thrown it away. But as he reached over to drop it into the flames, he felt his hand seize up – his whole body halting him from doing it. The letter stayed safe in his hands for the remainder of the night. 

He only awoke in the morning due to the pure anxiety of the letter still laying in his hands. He knew he should rid of any evidence of it, but the words were so vulnerable inside, so truthful that ridding of it would mean ridding of Hajime’s true emotions – forbidden or not. He picked up a small satchel, the only thing he was allowed to take from his Kingdom, and tucked the letter in gently in one of the hidden pockets. It was safe – for now. He picked up the plain paper that was wrapped around the letter and threw it in the fire to give the illusion to Koushi that he had burned it. 

People seemed to already be awake, bustling around his tent – loud as usual. He stretched his tired limbs and walked over to the water basin. His face felt hot and he could tell it was red, proven by his reflection in the water. The tears he let dry on his cheeks stained them a strange colour but he washed it off quickly, not wanting to see it anymore. A shadow loomed outside and he recognized it to be Koushi, he walked towards the flap of the tent and lifted it up to allow Koushi inside. Koushi’s eyes rested on the burning paper and his entire body seemed to relax and he offered Tooru a warm smile before handing him a small bowl filled with water. Tooru drank it slowly, enjoying the refreshing feeling before he flopped down on the ground, only hissing a little from the impact. 

“How do you feel?” Koushi asked, genuinely curious it seemed. Tooru felt a little guilty at the fact he had kept the letter but forced a smile onto his face. 

“I feel fine.” Tooru lied. “It was a proper goodbye.” Koushi nodded. “We should go to the baths today, with the others.” 

When Wakatoshi arrived at the camp, Tooru smelt him before he heard or saw him. The scent of the Alpha seemed like it awakened everyone, the camp simultaneously stood up to watch him emerge from the distance. Once he got closer, Tooru watched as Tetsurou spoke with him followed by Keiji and another Alpha who he hadn’t learnt the name of yet. As he watched, from where he was sat, he caught eyes with Akaboshi and offered him a small smile. The Alpha nodded before diverting his attention back to Keiji who was speaking to him. Finally, Wakatoshi approached him, his body slower than usual and Tooru realized, obviously, that Wakatoshi was tired. 

“How do you feel?” Wakatoshi asked him, it seemed as though he was drunk with how he was slurring a little but Tooru felt a small ounce of pity for him. The poor man suffered a rut alone and then had to come back to pretend as though it hadn’t affected him. 

“Shouldn’t I be asking you that, Ushiwaka?” Tooru poked his tongue out, not sure why he did so. Wakatoshi let out a small huff but Tooru couldn’t tell if it was due to annoyance or amusement. 

“Come.” Wakatoshi ordered softly, he held out his hand and Tooru watched as Koushi put a bowl into his hand. Wakatoshi thanked the other Omega before walking to his own tent, clearly expecting Tooru to follow. It was at this moment, Tooru wondered, what the others at the camp thought. Surely it was strange that Tooru didn’t spend Wakatoshi’s rut with him. However, perhaps they all knew the intensity of their pack leader’s rut. 

They entered the tent together, Wakatoshi flopped himself onto the ground, stretching his legs out. Tooru watched before he fetched him a pale of water, placing it down in front of him and then sitting down opposite his husband. Wakatoshi’s scent was weaker than before but still more prominent than it was usually, he hoped it died down. Although, it was quite a nice smell. It was at this moment that he understood that he had been missing this smell from camp. 

“You must be tired.” Tooru said after a while, hating the silence. Wakatoshi looked up but was currently chewing. Thankfully, he waited until he finished and swallowed before he spoke. 

“Yes.” Wakatoshi sighed, clicking his back. “And you? Tetsurou told me that you managed the camp.” 

“Barely.” Tooru scoffed. The Omega watched as Wakatoshi ate for a while in silence. He ate quickly, clearly hungry before he looked up at Tooru, blinking slowly. It was strange to see Wakatoshi so weak, his body clearly exhausted as he could barely sit up straight. “You should go to sleep.” 

Wakatoshi nodded slowly, resting his back down on the fur. Tooru leant forwards and took the bowl he had been eating from away from his body so that he could not hit it. Then, he looked over him. There were a few new scratches over his body as though he had been in a small fight or perhaps fallen down a hill. Wakatoshi, Tooru had noticed, got hurt a lot within the camp – not caring too much about his body when he went hunting or even completing domestic duties within the camp itself. The Alpha turned his head, breathing out deeply, proving to Tooru that he was sleeping. Without touching him, he watched him for a while, his hair flattened on his head as it usually was. 

“How was last night?” Koushi asked cheekily, his usual grin plastered on his face whilst he teased Tooru. Tooru had left the tent in the early hours of the morning, leaving Wakatoshi to sleep peacefully alone in the tent. He ignored the other Omegas and sat himself down in the grass, at first pulling at the grass but then sitting still for a while. Koushi approached him, handing him a bowl filled with water. 

“Fine.” Tooru responded, too tired to come up with a witty remark. Koushi seemed to notice this, narrowing his eyes a little. 

“What’s wrong?” Koushi questioned, his tone unsympathetic. “Have you already had another argument?” 

Tooru’s cheeks flushed a pretty pink and he bit his lip, “we don’t argue that much.” He muttered, “no, anyway.” 

“Then what?” 

“I... I don’t know.” Tooru admitted, “I guess I’m still not used to being married.” Koushi nodded and Tooru felt his shoulders drop. He picked at the grass beneath his body, pulling it out from the ground and rubbing it between his fingers. “He isn’t what I expected.” 

“Wakatoshi-kun?” Tooru nodded, “what did you expect?” 

“If I’m being honest, my father.” Tooru sighed, “I assumed every King would be like my father. Maybe I thought he’d be a bit more aggressive.” Koushi laughed a little at this. 

“Tetsurou told me about your father.” Koushi told him, “I heard he wasn’t the nicest of Alphas.” Tooru nodded at this, it was the truth. 

“Maybe I thought I’d end up like my mother.” Tooru stated, “but he left. He knew his ruts were intense and so he left.” 

He threw his head back, staring at the sun and still picking at the grass. Koushi watched him but didn’t intervene. 

“My mother was right, about the Southerners.” Tooru got ahold of himself and dropped his head down, staring right at Koushi. “Though, we never had this conversation.” Koushi laughed once more. 

“Whatever you say, Tooru-kun.” Koushi smiled, “although I don’t see the purpose of hiding such a revelation.” 

“I’m still annoyed at him.” Tooru said, watching as Koushi rolled his eyes. “For good reason!” 

“Like what?” 

“Like our marriage is apparently forbidden.” Tooru whispered loudly. Koushi’s face immediately dropped. “Kuroo told me.” 

“Tetsurou exaggerates. Yes, the court didn’t agree to war with the North but there are other advantages with marrying the Eastern Kingdom. Besides, if the King has married, no one can fight against it.” 

“Koushi.” Tooru started, “he shouldn’t have done it.” 

“Talk to him about it.” Koushi advised, “I’m sure he’ll be able to explain it better.” Tooru almost laughed at the fact that Koushi believed that Wakatoshi could explain anything let alone better than he did but left it at that. 

As Wakatoshi set up camp, Tooru allowed himself to observe the scenery around them. Where the camp was being set up, it was sandy – soft to lie on despite the roughness of it on the skin initially. There were a few random piles of rocks scattered around the small area and then boulders encircling it, cutting them off from the rest of nature. There was a small stream of water beside them, on the edge one half of the boulders, fresh enough that when it splattered lightly against the rocks, it cooled the air around it. Tooru watched the stream for a long while before he finally turned his head around and gazed at the area a short distance away. There was short grass beside the trees that stood after the boulders, it wasn’t too green but it was beautiful enough to attract small flies and other sorts of insects. 

“Are there deer nearby, Ushiwaka?” Tooru asked, still looking at the grassy area and not on Wakatoshi. However, he could tell that Wakatoshi wasn’t looking at hm either instead focusing on the tent he was pinning to the ground. He felt slightly annoyed that Wakatoshi didn’t get as angry at his nicknames that Hajime did but he quelled it. 

“Yes.” Wakatoshi stated, “I hunt a lot of rabbit here as well. Sometimes squirrel.” Tooru wrinkled his nose in distaste although Wakatoshi couldn’t see him. 

“I prefer deer.” Tooru sighed, he leant back into the boulder he was already sitting on, shifting a little to make himself more comfortable. “How long have you been hunting?” 

“Since I was a child.” At this, he heard Wakatoshi shuffle, perhaps sitting down and facing Tooru. However, he still did not gaze over at his husband, content at watching the leaves on the trees sway with the calmness of the wind. “I assume it is the same for you.” 

“No.” Tooru admitted, “my father hates the fact that I even learned. It was forbidden until I was fourteen.” He let the Alpha do the mathematics, not bothering to remind him of his age. He hoped that Wakatoshi was at least smart enough for that. 

He heard the Alpha stand, the sand moving around his feet, and then walk towards Tooru, leaning down only slightly. “Let’s hunt tomorrow.” He knew what this insinuated but he refused to give in. He had things to discuss. 

“I’m hungry.” Tooru whined, hoping that would mean it would give him at least a few hours whilst they hunted. Surprisingly, however, Wakatoshi drew himself back before he ran towards a tree. The image, to someone else, would have been incredibly ridiculous. However, Tooru knew Wakatoshi was posturing. Tooru watched as Wakatoshi ran towards the centre of the trees before he glanced back at the river. He wasn’t going to let the Alpha show off needlessly. Before he could even watch one slap of the water against the rocks, he saw Wakatoshi beside him. The Alpha was holding a dead rabbit in his hands, the body looking impossibly small against his own, and he looked only at Tooru. “I don’t like r-” 

“I will cook this.” Wakatoshi stated. By cook, Tooru assumed that he meant burn it at the fire but he didn’t want to help. He lit the fire easily whilst he laid the rabbit down beside him. Then, ritually, he began to skin the dead animal. Tooru cringed as the flesh was removed from the small creature. Although he cooked, he had never taken part in skinning the animal or chopping off its head. He chose to look away, not caring how disrespectful it may seem to both Wakatoshi or even the rabbit itself. When he finally felt brave enough to turn, the noise Wakatoshi had been making before quieted down, he saw the rabbit hung over the fire to cook. The Alpha was staring at him intently. 

“What?” Tooru questioned, “do you expect me to say thank you?” 

Wakatoshi didn’t answer. 

“Why are we here?” Tooru asked finally. “I know we were meant to hunt together but we didn’t have to go away from the camp.” 

“We have a camp here.” Wakatoshi shrugged, gazing around the campsite before looking back at Tooru. 

“That’s not what I asked.” The wind seemed to suddenly get colder, nipping harshly against Tooru’s exposed skin and he shivered. Instead of answering him straight away, Wakatoshi threw a long piece of fur over him, expecting him to cover himself. The Alpha was sat in the sand, picking at the rabbit over the fire, whilst Tooru sat on the same rock he had been sitting on previously. He got tired and slid down from it, resting properly in the sand. “What is it you want?” 

“A wife.” Wakatoshi said instantly, as if he was waiting for that very question. “Not another enemy.” Tooru scoffed at this. 

“Then why did you make enemies out of your council?” Wakatoshi seemed surprised by this, arching a brow and breaking the usual stoic facial expression he held. “Tetsurou told me that they didn’t agree to this marriage.” 

“They didn’t disagree.” 

“You sound like a child.” Tooru hissed. “I know you’ve been a King since you were young but that doesn’t mean you are allowed to act out against your council.” 

“Do I seem like the type to act out?” Wakatoshi asked, his gaze still primarily on Tooru whilst Tooru’s own eyes shifted around the whole area. The question threw him off, Wakatoshi didn’t seem like the Alpha who would misbehave – even if he was a young child. 

“It doesn’t matter. The point is you shouldn’t have-” 

“Do you not think that your father knew about this very fact?” Wakatoshi continued, his voice rising slightly. “I am not a deceitful man, I told you all about every step of the plan." 

“Then why didn’t I know?” Tooru asked, defensively. 

“What your father did or didn’t tell you is not my problem.” Wakatoshi replied hotly causing Tooru’s mouth to slam shut in shock. The Alpha in front of him seemed angry, something he hadn’t quite seen before but despite that, Tooru wasn’t scared. Instead, he was _as_ angry. 

“No. It isn’t. But you should tell your _wife_.” Tooru snapped. “This entire time I have been a part of your camp, you have done nothing but exclude me from my royal duties.” 

“You exclude yourself.” 

“No. _No_.” Tooru held out his hands, stopping Wakatoshi from speaking. The Alpha, thankfully, obeyed, but he continued to release a small threatening scent as if he needed further proof that he was angry. “Do not use my Palace upbringing and my nervousness to join this camp as an excuse. I will not allow it anymore.” 

“Allow it.” Wakatoshi drawled. Tooru stopped speaking, curious to see how Wakatoshi would continue. Instead of carrying on, Wakatoshi sat back and observed Tooru from afar. The gaze was critical, bearing down onto the Omega. “Very well. Be a part of my council.” 

“That’s....it?” Tooru fell short. “You’re going to let me be a part of the council. That’s it?” 

“I never stopped you.” Tooru bit his cheek in anger. OfCourse the blame would be placed only on him. However, he would take this as a victory and he nodded slowly, not furthering the argument. 

“Why do you want to start war with the North?” Tooru asked bravely, he breathed out heavily, his chest puffed up in premature defense. “Revenge?” 

“Justice.” Wakatoshi stated. Once the word was said, he stared at Tooru intently. “King Suguru murdered my parents.” 

“Yes, but now his son rules.” Tooru argued, “killing him won’t bring back-” 

“I don’t want my parents brought back.” Wakatoshi admitted, his voice the quietest Tooru had ever heard it. “I want justice for their death and justice for the people in the Northern Kingdoms. Do you know how the new King Suguru rules?” 

Tooru blinked. “I haven’t heard-” 

“Precisely.” Wakatoshi cut him off. “Would you like to know why?” 

“Why don’t you enlighten me, oh great one?” Tooru sneered, crossing his arms in defense. He watched as Wakatoshi rolled on his feet before crouching upwards, still lower than Tooru. 

“Because you sit in a Palace all day.” Wakatoshi sighed, his tone almost mocking – something Tooru wasn’t sure he was capable of doing. “How can you know what the people think if you only hear what the Northern advisors tell you?” 

“Spies.” 

“Spies are trained liars.” Wakatoshi spat. “All of them have no loyalty towards people or Kingdom, only money.” 

“Fine.” Tooru whipped his arms in the air, opening his upper body up before slamming them down at his sides. “My ignorance is because I was trapped in a Palace all my life and not because my father hated me in court. You know what that reminds me of? My husband, who before today, had kept me inside a tent, away from any royal duties.” 

“Do not compare me to your father.” Wakatoshi ordered, his brows down casted and his eyes darkened. He sighed, letting his gaze drop. “We are arguing about the same things. You are now part of my council.” 

“But we will still fight with the Northerners.” 

Wakatoshi looked at him for a split second, almost desperately if Tooru had read his face correctly. “What would you have me do?” 

“Negotiate? Talk to the new King Suguru. Like you said, being in a Palace distances yourself from the people.” Tooru inwardly cringed at the obvious attempt to appease Wakatoshi in order to push his point. 

“I will talk to my advisors.” Wakatoshi said suddenly. Tooru shifted, uncomfortable, unsure as to he had actually been listened to or not. “You seem surprised.” 

“I expected more of a fight.” With Tooru’s confession, Wakatoshi smiled a little. His features softened, something Tooru was observing closely now. 

“Despite what you think, I value your opinion.” Wakatoshi informed him, “that does not mean I have changed my plans.” 

“But you’ll think about it?” 

“I’ll think about it.” 

Tooru let out a breath of small surprise. Perhaps his mother was correct about the loyalty and respect of savage men. He watched as Wakatoshi ripped some meat off the cooked rabbit, shoving it in his mouth indelicately. So strange a man as primal as this had at least some common sense. As a chunk of meat was thrown towards him and he watched Wakatoshi offer him another one of his smiled, he allowed himself to fully relax. Wakatoshi was no Hajime but he wasn’t a bad man. 

Wakatoshi had promised to show him a sight that he would never have been able to see in the Eastern Kingdom. At first, Tooru assumed he meant because Tooru was usually confined to the Palace but he soon realized it was because Wakatoshi meant waterfalls. Although they were near the border between the two Kingdoms, Tooru understood that waterfalls were primarily in the Southern and Western Kingdoms. The Northern Kingdoms were colder, meaning there was more ice than water and the Eastern Kingdom was one of the hottest of the four. However, the longer Tooru spent in the Southern Kingdom, the more he realized it was equally as hot there. Wakatoshi had informed him that the further they go into the Kingdom, the cooler it got. 

It took a small while to get to the waterfall but Tooru didn’t mind as the walk was scenic and despite the looming presence of Wakatoshi, he was an adequate hiking partner – only speaking at random points to tell Tooru the history or the science of objects he knew about. They walked mostly in silence, aside from that, both in pace with each other. They had left the sand area and walked on the grass. Tooru listened as it crunched quietly under their feet, signaling that despite the heat, autumn was arriving. Butterflies fluttered around at some point after Wakatoshi hit a tree and Tooru watched as two landed on his husband's shoulder. He laughed at Wakatoshi’s sudden stillness. The oaf could fight bears but was apparently scared of butterflies. As soon as he caught Wakatoshi smile at his laugh, he turned his head around quickly. 

“We are here.” Wakatoshi announced after they had walked past a clearing. After moving some huge leaves out of his line of eyesight, Tooru stood mesmerized by the sight of the waterfall. It was large, bigger than he had expected, and its stream splashed heavily against the rocks at the bottom. “Behind the waterfall, there are a few pools.” Wakatoshi walked forwards, careful around the slippery area, making sure he was slow so that Tooru could still capture the moments under the waterfall. The splashes got more intense causing Tooru to jump around a little, giggling as he did so. He felt like a child again. 

The pools by the waterfall were beautiful. Although they were close, there wasn’t a harsh splash near them and the water was warm under the heat of the sun. Water glistened the rocks nearby almost lighting around the pool. At night, Tooru would guess that this place would be terrifying and dangerous but during the day it was magnificent. Wakatoshi had sat down first, there were rocks in the pool – eroded by the water to make them smooth – in which they could sit. The water looked as though it reached the Alpha’s chest, moving just below his chin but Tooru saw, when he sat up properly, that it was just at his waistline. Tooru, still holding on to Wakatoshi’s hand, walked slowly on the rocks. One rock, not in his line of eyesight, caused him to trip suddenly, losing his balance and nearly toppling in the water. Wakatoshi stood up quickly, grabbing his waist and stilling his body so that he could stand straight. 

“Oh wow. It’s slippery.” Tooru laughed, his voice airy and light. It was a scary thought though, to fall. Luckily, Wakatoshi still held onto him and helped him down into the water. They both sat where Wakatoshi had sat beforehand, Tooru on a similar height rock in front of him. 

“Are you alright?” Wakatoshi asked when they had both sat down for a while. Tooru gave him a soft glare and didn’t answer. Water reflected both their faces beneath them, shining just a little from the sun. The water was a warm temperature, heating Tooru’s skin and relaxing his sore muscles from the spar they just had. 

“You come here often?” Tooru asked after a short while, he kept his voice quiet – not wanting to ruin the tranquility of the area. Wakatoshi leant his head back, his back pressed against the edge of the pool and his legs spread. At first, Tooru didn’t think Wakatoshi had heard him but he soon realized the Alpha was just resting a little. 

“When I can.” The answer finally came. Wakatoshi’s deep voice added to the calmness of the setting, along with his scent which Tooru could easily smell from his position. Wakatoshi’s chest flexed, his arms loosened under the water as he stretched them out. The man was captivating to watch whether Tooru liked it or not. The strength of such an Alpha to unveil in front of his own eyes felt significant, forbidden. Wakatoshi’s eyes opened and Tooru didn’t turn his head in time to appear as though he wasn’t watching so intensely. “Come here.” He ordered softly; his hand moved from its position to offer it to Tooru. 

Surprising himself, Tooru took it, letting himself be dragged towards Wakatoshi. It was an easy enough thing to do, Tooru wasn’t too light but water made everything weightless. Wakatoshi sighed when he felt Tooru’s body come in between his legs, he turned the Omega around so that his back was pressed against his chest. If Tooru didn’t like it, he could easily move but the Omega seemed content with the new position. 

Wakatoshi moved back, his back already pressed against the edge of the pool, but his arms outstretched to open the bag he had left behind them. The area just below was the only dry patch here and he had left a thin fabric bag filled with cloths there. He grabbed the closest one to his hands and brought himself back up again. There was only a little dirt from Tooru, he was mostly covered in sweat. However, Wakatoshi could guess that Tooru would have wanted him to clean his back with a cloth and not just with hands. Despite this knowledge, he still skimmed his palm against the smoothness of Tooru’s bad, relishing in the soft gasp he got in return. Before he got to cleaning, he pressed a small kiss to the nape of Tooru’s neck, scenting it a little. The Omega always smelt fresh, new – at first Wakatoshi believed it to be the help of the perfumes the Palace Omegas all wore but he now understood it to be a part of Tooru’s scent. 

He moved the cloth in his hand slowly on Tooru’s back, wiping away at the sweat but he was careful not to be too rough. Tooru’s back was tense, his whole body in anticipation for what Wakatoshi could do next. However, Wakatoshi was content with cleaning the Omega, washing his body. Although they had spent countless days in the sun, Tooru’s skin was still pale. It had tanned a little but compared to the others, his skin was impossibly white. The brownness of his hair contrasted deeply with his pale skin, making Wakatoshi wonder what he would look like with darker skin. 

Inevitably, he reached Tooru’s lower back; wiping downwards and upwards slowly as to not scare the shaking Omega in front of him. He placed a large hand over the side of Tooru’s hips, pulling him just a little closer so that could properly wash all the dirt. Tooru’s hand ghosted over it, lightly touching it before he pushed it away. Wakatoshi almost sighed with defeat but then he saw Tooru turn around, not fast enough to splash everywhere but quickly enough for him to be able to take the cloth from Wakatoshi’s hand and place it against Wakatoshi’s chest. Before he used it, the Omega wrinkled his nose, throwing it to the other edge of the pool so that he wasn’t holding it. The cloth, having cleaned him, was dirty but Wakatoshi still could have cleaned it and reused it. He kept this thought to himself, watching Tooru’s actions for anything else. 

“Do you have any other cloths?” The Omega finally asked, his voice still quieter than usual. Wakatoshi nodded, slinking back around in an attempt to get another cloth. This time, it was easier for his blind hands to get as he knew where the bag was. When he sat back down, he noticed the dark red color of Tooru’s cheeks and almost smiled when he realized what he had just done. Tooru shot his eyes up obviously to prove that he wasn’t looking lower than Wakatoshi’s waist but the Alpha ignored it anyway. He gave the cloth to the Omega, meeting his gaze before Tooru dropped it. Finally, Tooru took the cloth and held onto it tightly, shaking a little. 

Wakatoshi felt the cloth move underneath his neck before he saw it as he was too concentrated on Tooru’s face. The Omega’s eyes were squinted, his breath coming out in short huffs and his mouth parted. Once every few seconds, his pink tongue would dart out and lick around the edges, highlighting that he was concentrating. The redness had faded into the colour pink and it covered the skin on his cheeks and now forehead from the heat. The cloth, though rough, was moved gently across his chest, wiping away any of the dirt left there from when Tooru threw him in the ground. Wakatoshi turned his gaze down, watching Tooru’s right hand grip onto his arm as though Wakatoshi wanted to run away. Their hands had started to wrinkle from being in the water but neither wanted to move just yet. Wakatoshi let Tooru clean his whole torso before he caught his wrist in his hand, Tooru looked up, confused. 

“We should head back before it gets dark.” Tooru knew that it wasn’t going to be dark for a few hours but they still needed to head back and set up camp before it did get dark and so he nodded his head slowly. Wakatoshi stood first, careful not to topple Tooru over as he did so, before he held onto both of Tooru’s hands – lifting him. Tooru’s eyes scanned the area where the bag was, looking for his clothes which he saw discarded there. The dress had been ripped and covered in sand but he would still wear it back to camp. Wakatoshi followed his line of eyesight, pausing when he also saw the state of their clothes. 

“We do not need them.” Wakatoshi stated, “we can head back to camp now. No one is here.” Tooru almost shouted but remained calm. The Alpha was right, it wasn’t as though they hadn’t seen each other naked. They had just bathed together. Tooru grabbed onto Wakatoshi’s arm, stepping out first and careful not to trip again. Wakatoshi moved his arm out of the grip but held on tightly to Tooru’s hand. They walked in unison, one behind the other, round the small edge of the hot pool before Wakatoshi jumped off to the nearest rock. He, still holding onto Tooru’s hand, pulled him a little closer to him and caught his body. They both stood still, breathing heavily due to the heat and also the exhilaration. They probably shouldn’t have come to the tallest pool by the waterfalls. 

From then, the journey was easy. They jumped by themselves down the rocks, silently but filled with trust. Once they reached the bottom, Tooru stepped onto the warm sand, digging his toes in before he held out his hand in front of him. It was an offering. Wakatoshi took it and they walked together, side by side, to the area they had killed the animal. Despite walking in silence, Tooru felt like he understood more of Wakatoshi. Although the Alpha had a cold exterior, he did care. It didn’t matter whether it was for his duty or if he actually cared for Tooru, he still showed it. 

“Wakatoshi.” Tooru said, his hand tightening on the grip from the anxiety. The Alpha turned his head, peering down at him, possibly surprised he used his first name. “Do you hate the fact that I am a Court Omega?” The question came out before Tooru could stop himself and he bit his lip in silent frustration. 

“Yes.” Wakatoshi answered brutally. Tooru tried to rip his hands away from Wakatoshi’s own but the Alpha held on tightly. “Don’t you hate that I am a savage? You wanted to marry a Palace King, right?” Tooru halted, both in attempting to escape and in walking. Wakatoshi stopped also, turning around to properly face the Omega. 

“So, we spend the rest of our lives hating each other?” Tooru asked dumbly, his head hurt. His body ached. He was tired of this. 

“No.” Wakatoshi replied simply, “I am willing to look past that.” _Look past it._ “You have many other endearing qualities that I never would have expected a Court Omega to have. You can fight, well. You can hunt. You’re strong.” Tooru blinked at the sudden flood of compliments, not sure what to say. Wakatoshi’s hand around his suddenly became more aware and the Alpha tugged him towards him again. They began to walk. Tooru thought if there were any attributes about Wakatoshi that surprised him, the man was clearly a savage. From the way he grunted more than spoke to how he killed beasts. 

Wakatoshi’s thumb stroked his own as they walked. Tooru looked at the larger hand enveloping his own and then back up again to see the slight trace of a smile on Wakatoshi’s face. There was one attribute that surprised him. 

_He was_ _gentle_ _._

The next morning was a lazy one. They both slept until later on in the day, Tooru watched as the sun rose to the highest point before, he felt truly uncomfortable in the heat and decided to move. Wakatoshi seemed content where he was, slightly apart from Tooru but still under the heat of the sun, and so Tooru didn’t bother to look at him. Instead, he sat up, wiped some sweat of his forehead and stood up slowly. He could feel Wakatoshi’s eyes on him as he walked towards a pouch of water and lifted it to press it against his lips. The water, surprisingly cool, filled his eager mouth and he downed it, refreshing himself. 

“I will never get used to the heat.” Tooru complained, mostly to himself out loud. “It’s unbearable.” 

“It’s the same as it is in the Eastern Kingdom. We are near the border.” Tooru rolled his eyes, turned away so that Wakatoshi couldn’t see him do that, before he let out a sigh. He knew this, obviously. “I suppose it is different when you have more shade in the Palace.” 

“It is.” Tooru hummed. “Does that offend you?” Wakatoshi had done nothing to suggest so but Tooru sometimes liked to annoy him on purpose. 

“Yes.” The response surprised Tooru and he turned his head around to see Wakatoshi sitting up, rubbing sleep out of his eye. The oaf was joking, hopefully. “Would you like to hunt today?” 

“Yes. No more rabbit!” Tooru sang, raising his arms to the air. “I’m going to get us a deer!” 

Tooru kept to his promise, wandering the wooded area with Wakatoshi tirelessly. The Alpha had promised that there were usually deer here and yet they had not seen, heard or even smelt a single one. The only animals they had seen were rabbits and the odd bird, all of which made Wakatoshi turn and ask, ‘are you sure you don’t want to eat something else.’ Tooru huffed, ready to give up before Wakatoshi dragged his arm and pulled him down under a small hill in the ground. 

“What-” Tooru hissed but Wakatoshi’s eyes went wide and he slapped a hand over Tooru’s mouth, silencing him. He then, with his other hand, pointed over the hill to where a small deer was laying. Their head turned towards the sun as they basked under its light. Tooru almost laughed with joy moving upwards to get a better look. In doing so, his leg brushed against a pile of leaves, getting the attention of the deer. The head dropped down and it scanned the area lazily, clearly not too offended, until it saw something behind Tooru. For a second, Tooru thought it was his own hair, but realized that it was an animal – perhaps a bird – behind him in the tree. Although it wasn’t a threat to the deer, it caused it to stand up suddenly before it turned its head around. Luckily, it hadn’t moved. 

The small deer stood still, it’s entire body rigid almost as though it was already afraid of what was to come. Wakatoshi, next to Tooru, hitched upwards silently, picking up a small arrow that Tooru had dropped and handed it to him, pressing a finger to his lips. Tooru nodded, taking the arrow from him and holding it tightly. He couldn’t shoot from here, he decided – they were too low for him to move without making a noise. And so, he moved quietly backwards, ignoring the mud that stuck to him from the ground. Wakatoshi turned, watching as he slid down the grassy hill towards a tree and held onto it for support. 

Tooru clung to one of the branches and hoisted himself up, only making enough noise that the deer’s head peaked upwards but did not catch a glance of him. He swung a leg up, ignoring the deer for a moment to fully concentrate in the tree in front of him. The wood dug into his palms as he held onto it tightly, the bark slightly rough alongside his forearm. He finally moved his arm to drag himself upwards, balancing on the bark and leaning the front of the body on a thick-bodied branch. Once more, the wood scratched at his skin but he trained his eyes onto the deer just in front of him. He reached back, grabbing at his bow and slowly moved it forwards. In doing so, the branch creaked which made the deer look up once more. This time, its head turned sideways attempting to catch something within eyeshot but it didn’t and so it resumed eating. Tooru grunted a little as he reached back to lift his singular arrow from behind him, he pulled it back on the string of the bow and released. He couldn’t even watch it travel before he heard it impact the deer, straight into its neck – piercing through its skin and forcing it to kneel onto the ground. Instead of watching it bleed out, a painful death, Tooru jumped down from the tree – as he was not too high in the first place – and marched towards the deer. Wakatoshi beat him to it, pulling the arrow from the deer and unsheathing a knife, cutting the artery in its throat so it could not feel anymore. Then, he watched as the blood poured into the ground around them, staining the grass a gruesome red. 

Tooru watched, entranced, as Wakatoshi lifted the deer wordlessly, not caring as the blood dripped onto his shirt. The image of a true savage. The Alpha flung the dead animal on his shoulder, looking over at Tooru with his pupils blown wide. He was _hungry_ but for what, Tooru wasn’t sure he wanted to know. Wakatoshi outstretched his arm before swinging it forwards, gesturing to Tooru to move in front of him. Tooru did as he was told, not looking at Wakatoshi as he did so, moving in front of the Alpha before he walked towards where they had set up camp. They walked in silence, the only sounds heard were the small grunts from Wakatoshi behind him and Tooru’s own quiet breaths. Their camp wasn’t too far off before Tooru jumped when a loud thud drew his attention next to him. He saw the corpse of the dear beside him causing him to throw his body backwards, colliding into Wakatoshi. 

He turned, hoping to see an explanation in Wakatoshi’s eyes but was thrown unceremoniously into the sand. The Alpha peered downwards at him, tilting his head in challenge. Tooru swung his leg out, impacting Wakatoshi’s ankles, bringing him into the ground and he heard him grunt before he attempted to bring himself up. His own ankles were grabbed and he was pulled downwards and underneath Wakatoshi who had already positioned himself over Tooru. The Omega panted underneath him, looking around for something in order to either distract Wakatoshi or hit him with. There was nothing. Instead, he lifted his leg up quickly, kneeing the Alpha in the groin and pushing him off with his torso. He flipped them over, his whole body on Wakatoshi’s as he panted, sweat dripping from the top of his head. Wakatoshi smiled before he threw Tooru off his body with his left arm and then rolled behind him, pulling Tooru backwards against his body. 

“I win.” Wakatoshi’s voice vibrated against his skin, his ear twitched from it. They were close. Very close. 

Tooru felt Wakatoshi grow hard behind him, his body pressed too tightly against him. The man was a true savage, hard after killing an animal and fighting his wife. Tooru, without thinking, pressed himself even closer to the man behind him, wanting to hear him gasp. 

Wakatoshi, gripped his waist and began to turn him around, placing his thigh between Tooru’s legs. “Yes?” The man asked, still asking his permission. 

Tooru didn’t want to give a verbal answer just yet but he nodded slowly, lifting his arms up and around Wakatoshi’s neck, letting the Alpha lick at his neck. It felt odd, being pressed into the sand by a larger man and liking it. There was a soft gasp that the Alpha made when Tooru raised one of his legs, brushing against Wakatoshi’s groin. Everything about this man was _huge_ , inescapable. Wakatoshi gripped one of Tooru’s arms, rolling them so that he was completely on top. The weight of the Alpha bore down onto his body, reminding him that he was so much weaker than him. A small bead of sweat travelled down Tooru’s forehead down to his cheek and chin, then finally his neck. He was shaking from fear, anticipation, lust or adrenaline. He didn’t know anymore. Once more, Wakatoshi dipped his head onto his neck and licked a stripe against it. 

“Waka-” Tooru started but let out a gasp when the Alpha bit. “Fuck.” The Alpha raised his head at the curse, offering one of his rare smiles. His scent, even though Tooru had deemed it impossible, strengthened, pinning Tooru to the ground just by being in close proximity of it. 

Although they had fought endlessly and disagreed on everything so far, there was something so right about this. Wakatoshi pressed Tooru’s groin more into the ground as he raised his upper body, taking off his cotton shirt. The shirt was stained with sweat and the blood of the animal that lay dead a distance behind them. Tooru felt like an animal. He was an animal. 

Wakatoshi’s body, no matter how many times one had seen it, was incredibly impressive. His large expanse of skin covered his well-formed muscles, his thighs – still clothed – shaking with the pure strength of holding just his upper body up. Finally, although it seemed only a short while, he came back down again – his shirt discarded to the side, pressing his face once more inches away from Tooru’s. Almost as if he was hesitant now, he slowly came closer to Tooru’s own lips, licking his own before he eventually leant down and placed a small kiss at the edge of Tooru’s mouth. Tooru bumped his head up and kissed Wakatoshi properly, pressing his lips against the others harshly. Wakatoshi let out a soft groan once Tooru rubbed his leg, once more, at the same spot as before. He hoped Wakatoshi would get impatient and take the lead but he seemed content with letting a virgin, with no sexual experience at all, take initiative. 

As if he could read his mind, Wakatoshi finally sat up, pulling Tooru with him. The Omega let himself be dragged up; his dress caught on the rock beneath him. Wakatoshi threw the rock to the side, ripping the dress with it. Tooru hissed at the fabric pulled behind him, tightening at the front. The Alpha’s eyes travelled down his body, examining every inch of him. He had done this before, countless times, but no other time felt like this. Every time Wakatoshi had stared at him beforehand, he had felt embarrassed but now he had the control. Tooru almost described the feeling he felt as pride as he watched the affect his body had on the Alpha. It’s like he knew now, how an Omega could control an Alpha now. His mother’s comments finally made sense. 

“You are beautiful.” Wakatoshi stated, his voice sounding like it was the most truthful thing he had ever said. Tooru wondered, without too much thought, if he actually meant it. 

Tooru leant forwards now, his face close to Wakatoshi’s and breathed out. They didn’t kiss, not for a moment, but stared at each other. For some reason, this excited the Alpha and he pulled Tooru even closer towards him, hoisting himself and the Omega up so that they were both standing. Wakatoshi brought the Omega close to him, dragging his hands down his body until they reached his thighs and pulled him up. Tooru yelped at the sudden lift, clasping his legs around Wakatoshi’s waist and grabbing onto his shoulders and neck once more. The Alpha carried him into the small cave they sat in before, laying him down gently against one of the smoother piles of rocks – careful not to accidentally stab him with a sharp stone. It was cooler in here, the wind blowing a little against their skin making them shiver. However, it was better than out in the sun – sweating and rolling around in the sand. 

Wakatoshi leant down once more to nip at Tooru’s lips, licking around his cheeks afterwards. The man really did not evolve properly from wolves, still behaving as a dog would with their owner. After he was content, he moved Tooru’s arms above them both and began to lift the dress off of him. Tooru shivered as he felt the breeze hit his thighs and stomach and finally his chest as the dress was tossed beside them. Wakatoshi lifted Tooru’s body up, pulling him to half-sit on his lap so that his body was not pressed against the cool stone. When Tooru seemed to warm down, he placed him gently down once more and began to kiss down his body, starting from his neck. He took his time, as he had been doing so anyway, kissing and licking down Tooru’s front until he finally reached the groin area. 

He nipped a little at the sensitive skin, rolling his tongue around the area before he bent down even further and licked at Tooru’s hole. From this position, Tooru instinctively lifted his legs up and wrapped them around Wakatoshi’s shoulder, linking them at his ankles. Wakatoshi lifted both hands to spread him before he delved his tongue in even further. The angle wasn’t enough and so Tooru shifted even further down, letting Wakatoshi lick at his hole deeper than before. 

“Ah.” Tooru’s moan escaped him and so he brought his arm closer to him and bit down, hard. “Mmmhm” His voice muffled against his forearm, the arm going red with the force. It was so intimate. Wakatoshi beneath him; almost, licking at his ass as if it was food, as if he thoroughly enjoyed it. Tooru arched his back just a little in order to get Wakatoshi to flick his tongue lower than he already was. 

Wakatoshi, however, stilled him by holding his waist up. His tongue did not rest, he licked on the inside of Tooru’s crack before finally shoving it in the hole. Tooru felt himself naturally open up for Wakatoshi’s tongue, moaning at the feeling of it licking around there. It felt as though it had been hours when Wakatoshi finally lifted his head up, staring at Tooru. 

The Alpha’s face was red, his skin hot from being between Tooru’s thighs for so long. Around Wakatoshis’ head, Tooru’s legs shook from the intensity of the action. It felt as though the Alpha had submitted to his pleasure. Now, however, the look on Wakatoshi’s face was different. His eyes darkened and he sat up straighter, pushing Tooru’s legs off him. 

He rose above Tooru’s body, resting his body weight on his left arm, and kissed Tooru once more. The thought of where the tongue had been before should have disgusted Tooru but instead it made him wetter. His slick seemed to gush out of him and onto the ground and now Wakatoshi’s hand also. The Alpha noticed, letting out a small smile before he brought his hand closer to Tooru’s ass. The heat emitting from the Alpha’s hand forced Tooru to moan a little, wiggling down onto it. Needing something, anything. Finally, Wakatoshi pressed a digit against Tooru’s hole, flicking it around before he finally pushed it inside. The feeling was amazing but at the same time not enough, Tooru felt himself push his ass down lower on the finger. 

“More.” He demanded, not ashamed. If Wakatoshi was going to take him time it would kill him. Demanding was different to begging, he assured himself. 

Wakatoshi silenced anymore demands with a simple kiss, tonguing his way through Tooru’s mouth whilst he added another finger. This added more pressure making Tooru gasp inside Wakatoshi’s mouth, happy with the feeling. The two fingers moved around inside of him before Wakatoshi curled them, pressing inside Tooru once more – even deeper. He stretched them out, pulling apart from the kiss and watching Tooru’s reaction. The Omega’s face was reddened, of course, sweat stuck to the top of his head – flattening down his hair. His lip was in between his teeth, nearly broken from the harshness of the bite. He was beautiful. 

Wakatoshi felt his patience give in, he needed Tooru now. He lifted himself up, still keeping his fingers inside Tooru. He moved them around once more before he took them out, wiping his hand alongside his trousers. He took his trousers off, not long after, watching Tooru’s face the whole time. 

There was a soft gasp when Tooru saw his length for the first time, fully naked. It was hardened and swollen, hanging down monstrously. Wakatoshi almost smirked when he saw Tooru back away subconsciously, a little scared at the size of him. 

“You’ll be fine.” He assured, bending forwards and capturing Tooru’s mouth with his own. “You were made for this.” Tooru knew the words were true to some extent as he was born an Omega but couldn’t help the little flash of annoyance he got with the comment. However, he pushed it down, focusing on Wakatoshi’s scent. Surprisingly, despite the overwhelmingness of it, it was a calming scent which seemed to put him at ease. He rested back down, opening his legs just a little to invite Wakatoshi in. 

Wakatoshi inched forwards, holding onto his length and stroking it as he stared at the Omega beneath him. Despite the rare shiver, the Omega seemed to be fine enough to go further. Wakatoshi could not wait anymore, he gripped one of Tooru’s legs to pull him higher and pressed himself against the Omegas entrance. The feeling of tightness overcame even himself when he pressed just his head inside. Tooru gasped, throwing his head back – almost hitting it hard against the rocks next to him, and clenched. 

“Wait.” Wakatoshi managed to say, his voice even deeper than it usually was. Tooru shivered at the hand around him, the vibration from the voice and the thickness of the scent. It was too much. “Relax, otherwise I can’t move any further.” 

Tooru tried but couldn’t loosen up, his legs now shaking with the fear that his husband was _too big_. 

“Tooru.” Wakatoshi leant down, letting go of his leg and kissing at his jaw. This was clearly an attempt to calm him but Tooru couldn’t concentrate. “It’ll be fine, you’ll see.” He nodded despite himself, listening to the stillness of Wakatoshi’s voice. 

The scent surrounding him reminded him of his own bedroom, the softness of the blankets and cushions. He dove his nose into Wakatoshi’s neck and tightened his legs around his waist, moving further downwards onto the length already inside. Wakatoshi stopped him with his hand but did not move him. Once Tooru had loosened enough, he drove himself even deeper inside. He was slow but it did not matter because he was so thick, his cock huge inside Tooru. 

Wakatoshi finally reached the hilt, grunting as he did so like an animal. He stayed, completely inside his Omega, shifting only a little to help Tooru get used to it. The Omega was so tight, his body responding perfectly to the cock inside him. 

“Yeah?” He murmured, not sure if he could speak properly right now with how Tooru clung to him. Tooru, still stuck to his neck, nodded – his hair flowing onto Wakatoshi’s face as he did so. Wakatoshi pulled out, only half-way and fucked back in a slowly as he did so. This time, he heard Tooru moan loudly and his whole-body clench. 

He had already found it. 

Wakatoshi did it once more, delving impossibly deeper and fucking Tooru into the smooth rock beneath him. Soon the thrusting got faster, his grasp around the Omegas thighs tighter and his body shook with each thrust into the Omega. Tooru had relaxed more, enveloping him with a wet heat that made him chase his own orgasm, slamming into Tooru now. 

“Fuck.” The curse was ripped out of Tooru’s mouth, his mouth slackened and his whole body shaking with ardency. Nothing else mattered apart from how Wakatoshi felt and how he smelt. His scent forced Tooru’s neck to bare itself, his whole body in submission to the Alpha above him. 

He couldn’t _breathe_ without feeling Wakatoshi, the Alpha was inside him and surrounding him, everywhere at once. Slick poured out from him, wetting both Wakatoshi’s cock and his own thighs. It was too much but at the same not enough. He demanded, not begged, for more, gripping his legs around his Alpha even tighter than before, meeting the thrusts half-way. Wakatoshi, as though this was his only job, hit the spot inside him over and over until Tooru had drool travel down his open mouth to his chin, his eyes squeezed shut in pure ecstasy. 

Wakatoshi’s knot began to grow, his balls slapping with each thrust and his cock catching on the rim each time. Tooru felt the building feeling, his toes curled, his legs shivered and he turned his head to expose his neck before he finally saw whiteness and came all over the both of them, moaning aloud as he did so. All the shame he had felt before had left as he gave his body for Wakatoshi to use and finish. The knot growing inside him grew until it caught finally inside Tooru, not leaving his body at all, and the feeling of warmness flooded his insides. It felt satisfactory. 

Wakatoshi bent down at an awkward angle, both his arms around Tooru’s head as he panted hard. His swollen cock moved with each pant making Tooru gasp a little at the still sensitive skin. This was nothing as he expected. Yes, he was in some cave and not in a bed. But his mother had never described sex to be so pleasurable. No one had. Wakatoshi let himself look up and kiss Tooru once more, this time slightly calmer and less passionate and yet still powerful. 

“You are perfect.” Wakatoshi stated, once more as though it was a fact. “Your next heat, I will mate you.” Although this was intended anyway as they were a married couple there was something about that statement that warmed Tooru. He felt accepted, one of them. 

Though, being fucked for the first time in a cave after hunting did seem beastly enough to be called a savage. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for the wait!  
> I have found it really hard to motivate myself due to the virus as I'm sure most of you would understand and a lot of shit has been going on! 
> 
> I really hope you guys can still enjoy this chapter!  
> Thanks for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! 
> 
> Just letting you guys know that I am a slow writer and this will be published when I can/motivated to publish it!  
> I love constructive criticism so please comment!  
> Also, thanks for reading it really does mean a lot to me! I hope you like!!
> 
> (I do not BETA my work - so I apologise already for any mistakes)
> 
> IWAOI is not endgame  
> USHIOI is....sorry, it hurts me as well!


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